IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


/ 


^ 


// 


// 


</ 

/!*• 
'4^ 


^ 


z. 


^ 


1.0 


11.25 


H&m 


1.1      l.-^l 


2.5 
2.2 

2.0 


U    IIIIIL6 


v] 


^/?/ 


^;; 


'/ 


Photographic 

Sdences 

Corporation 


\ 


^v 


•^ 


;\ 


\ 


tv 


^^^ 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


5^  ^< 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Ttchnical  and  Bibliographic  Notaa/Notas  tachniquaa  at  bibiiographiquas 


Tha  Inatituta  haa  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  baat 
origib-«al  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographicaiiy  uniqua, 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  tha 
raproduction.  or  which  may  aignlficanthf  changa 
tha  uauai  mathod  of  filming,  ara  chaclcad  baiow. 


D 


Colourad  covara/ 
Couvartura  da  coulaur 


r~~j   Covara  damagad/ 


D 


Couvartura  andommagia 

Covara  raatorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
Couvartura  raataurte  at/ou  paliicuiia 


□   Covar  titia  miaaing/ 
La 


D 
D 


D 


D 


titra  da  couvartura  manqua 


I     I   Colourad  maps/ 


Cartas  gtegraphiquas  an  coulaur 


□   Colourad  inic  (i.a.  othar  than  blua  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  coulaur  ]i.a.  autra  qua  biauo  ou  noira) 

r~|   Colourad  platas  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planchas  at/ou  illustrations  an  coulaur 


Bound  with  othar  matarlal/ 
Rail*  avac  d'autras  documents 


Tight  bind'ng  may  causa  shadows  or  distortion 
along  intarior  margin/ 

La  raiiura  sarrAe  paut  causar  da  I'ombra  ou  da  la 
distortion  la  long  da  la  marga  IntAriaura 

Blank  laavas  addad  during  rastoratlon  may 
appaar  within  tha  taxt.  Whanavar  possiblo.  thasa 
hava  baan  omittad  from  filming/ 
II  sa  paut  qua  cartainas  pagas  blanches  ajoutias 
lors  d'una  rastauration  appamissant  dans  la  taxta, 
mais.  lorsqua  cala  4tait  possibla,  cas  pagas  n'ont 
pas  «t«  fiimias. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commantairas  supplAmantairas: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm*  la  maiiiaur  axamplaira 
qu'ii  lui  a  AtA  poaaibia  da  aa  procurer.  Lea  dttaila 
da  cat  axemplaira  qui  aont  paut-Atre  uniquea  du 
point  da  vue  bibliographique.  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dana  la  mithoda  normale  de  filmage 
aont  indiquia  ci-daaaous. 


|~~1   Colourad  pagea/ 


D 


This  Item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Peges  endommagias 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  reataurAas  at/ou  ^iliculAea 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxet 
Pages  dAcoiortes,  tachatAea  ou  piquAas 

Pag*s  detached/ 
Peg^s  d^tachtes 

Showthroughy 
Transparence 

Quelity  of  prin 

Qualit^  InAgaia  de  I'lmpression 

Includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  metAriel  supplAmentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seuie  Mition  diaponibla 


|~~|  Pages  damaged/ 

I — I  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

r~pi  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

nn  Pag*s  detached/ 

|~T|  Showthrough/ 

I     I  Quelity  of  print  varies/ 

rn  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

I — I  Only  edition  available/ 


The( 
toth 


Thei 
poss 
of  th 
filmi 


Origi 

Jegii 

thai 

sion, 

othe 

first 

sion, 

or  ill 


The  I 
shall 
TINl 
whic 

Mapi 
diffe 
entir 
begii 
right 
requ 
metl 


Peges  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  erreta 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  heve  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  l>est  possible  imege/ 
Les  pages  totalement  oic  pertiellement 
obscurcies  per  un  feuillet  d'arreta,  une  pelure. 
etc.,  ont  Ati  fiimAes  i  nouveeu  de  fapon  A 
obtenir  le  meilleure  image  possible. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

y 

12X 


16X 


20X 


a4x 


28X 


32X 


Th«  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


L'exemplaire  filmA  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
gAn#iro8it6  de: 

BibliothAque  nationaie  du  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  At6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  nettetA  de  I'exemilaire  filmA,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  endl.ig  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  Impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  Illustrated  Impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exempiaires  orlginaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  Imprimte  sont  fllmAs  en  commen^ant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  termlnant  solt  par  la 
derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'iiiustratlon.  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exempiaires 
originaux  sont  filmis  en  commen9ant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — »•  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaTtra  sur  la 
dernlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc..  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  &tre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diff6rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seui  clich6,  ii  est  filmi  d  partir 
de  Tangle  sup6rleur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  n^cessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
iliustrent  la  mithode. 


1  2  3 


32X 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

1 


CANADA 


NATIONAL  LIBRARY 
BIBLIOTHtaUE  NATIONALE 


(••Ml  I 


r  \^ 


L 


oil. 


VIKINGS    OF    TO-DAY 


i      VIKINGS   OF  TO-DAY 

Oil  Life  and  Mi-nrcAL  Work 

among   the 

Fishermen  of  Labrador 


I'.Y 


WIM'RI-I)   T.   r.RIL\>|{Lr.,   M.R.C.S.K.,   T^.R.C.P 

noiJ..  a/tnc  Bo.ni  .:/  Tra.ic  Catijl^atc  ^  Con.fcUn.y  as  ,uL.  Manner 


11. LUSl  RATED    FKO^f 
ORIGINAL  rilOTOGRArilS 


^»KI^ 


FLEMING    H.    REVELL   CO^H'ANY 
New  York  Cjik  \rn  t^^ 

Publishers  of  Eza„-clual  Ukrature 


Li 


152655 


BcMcatcb 

BY  KIND  PKRMISSION  TO 

HER  ROVAL  HIGHNESS  THE  DUCHESS  OF  YORK, 

whose  Practical  and  gracious  interest  in  the  welfare  of 

these   far-off  '^Toilers  of  the  Deep"  has  sensed  in 

no  small  way  to  assist  this  enterprise,  and  to 

fire  with     oyal  affections  the  hearts  of 

En^^LuuVs  sons  across  the  sea. 


PREFACE 


By  FREDl'RICK  TRF.VKS,  F.R.C.S., 

Surj^eon  to  the  London  Iloapita!.     Exixmincr  in  Sur.:;ery  at  the  Univo  i/.> 
of  CamhrU^e.     Chairman  of  the  J/o.<:/>ital  Committee  of  the  Mission 

to  Deep  Sea  Fishermen. 

At  the  prc«>cnt  time  -near  to  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century 
—we  ate  bcini;  constantly  reinintlecl,  witli  soniewliat  unple.isant 
pcrsiatcncc,  that  the  human  r.ice  is  de^cneratinj;  and  that  the 
changes  of  decay  are  moat  markeil  among  the  most  civihsed 
people.  It  is  among  the  young  men  especially  that  these  un- 
welcome signs  of  the  times  are  assumed  to  be  the  more  noticeable. 
It  is  claimed  that  the  splendid  physique  and  the  heroic  courage  of 
the  Rritish  race  arc  both  deteriorating,  and  that  those  who  seek 
for  the  time  of  noble  deeds  and  sturdy  hearts  must  turn  bark  to 
the  days  of  Elizabeth— to  the  stirring  times  of  Drake  and  Raleigh. 

There  is  said  to  be  no  longer  a  field  for  that  plu<  k  and  daring, 
or  for  that  determination  and  persistency,  wliich  at  one  period  made 
the  name  of  the  IWiiish  famous  throughout  the  world. 

It  would  be  idle,  in  this  place,  to  inr|uire  into  the  substance  of 
these  moanings  and  regrets,  and  it  would  be  reasonable  perhaps 
to  allow  that  there  may  be  some  leal  or  apparent  element  of  truth 
in  these  lamentations  over  the  man  <jf  tlie  present. 

Re  this  as  it  may,  it  will  be  agrceal^le  to  those  who  are  most 
concerned  in  these  forebodings  to  turn  to  the  record  contained  iii 
this  volume,  while  those  who  view  with  some  disgust  the  fashion- 
able youth  of  the  day,  with  his  many  effeminacies  and  affectations, 
will  find  in  the  pages  which  follow  some  wholesome  relief  to  their 
distaste. 

Dr.  Grenfell's  narrative  will  take  the  reader  away  from  the 
heated,  unnatural  and  debilitating  atmosphere  of  the  modern  city, 
from  the  enervated  crowd,  fiom  the  pampereil,  self-indulgent 
colonies  of  men  and  women  w  ho  make  up  fashionable  bociety,  and 


PREFACE 


will  carry  him  to  a  lonely  land  where  all  conventionalities  vanish, 
and  where  man  is  brouj^lft  into  contact  with  the  simplest  elements 
of  life  and  with  the  rudimentary  problems  of  how  to  avoid  starva- 
tion and  ward  off  death  from  cold. 

The  present  volume  deals  with  a  land  of  desolation,  with  a 
country  hard,  relentless,  unsympathetic  and  cruel,  where,  among 
fogs  and  icebergs,  a  handful  of  determined  men  are  trying  to  hold 
their  own  against  hostile  surroundings  and  to*  earn  a  living  in 
defiance  of  dreary  odds. 

When  the  Mission  to  Deep  Sea  Fishermen  resolved  to  send  an 
expedition  to  Labrador,  it  was  evident  that  the  man  to  go  with 
it  was  Grcnfell.  He  was  well  known  both  at  Oxford  and  in  London 
as  a  hardy  athlete  ;  he  war  a  skilled  and  able  surgeon  ;  he  was 
proibundly  interested  in  Mission  work  ;  and  the  sea  had  for  him 
that  magical  attraction  which  a  few  centuries  ago  emptied  nearly 
every  little  cove  and  fishin<^  hamlet  in  Cornwall  and  Devon  of  its 
heartiest  men,  and  carried  them  over  the  high  seas  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth. 

Grenfell  went,  and  the  good  .vurk  of  the  Mission  was  established 
on  the  Labrador.  It  was  no  little  matter  to  bring  into  the  hard 
and  desperate  life  of  the  Labrador  fishermen  a  touch  of  kindly  and 
practical  sympathy  from  the  old  country.  It  was  no  little  matter 
to  travel  for  many  hundreds  of  miles  along  a  grim,  inhospitable 
coast,  where  buoys  and  beacons  are  unknown  and  where  there 
is  scarcely  a  bay  or  island  which  has  not  been  the  scene  of  some 
lonely  disaster. 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  book  that  the  race  of  Vikings  is  not 
yet  extinct,  on  the  one  hand,  and  that  on  the  other  the  spirit  of 
enterprise  and  daring  is  not  yet  lost  to  the  English  people,  and 
that  the  modern  rover  of  the  sea  differs  from  his  predecessor  in 
little  save  the  motive  of  his  expedition. 

Those  who  l<now  how  to  value  the  comforts  of  an  English 
home,  and  who  can  appreciate  the  quiet  content  and  the  beauty  of 
an  English  village,  will  be  induced  by  this  book  to  feel  no  little 
sympathy  for  those  whose  lives  are  cast  among  the  dreary  islands 
and  deserted  bays  of  Labrador. 

FREDERICK  TREVES. 


AUTHOR'S   PREFACE 


This  book  is  intended  to  give  a  general  account  of 
ihe  country  and  people  of  Labrador,  and  to  sum- 
marize the  efforts  made  by  the  council  of  the 
Mission  to  Deep  Sea  Fishermen,  during  the  past 
three  years,  to  brighten  the  lives  of  the  many 
brave  toilers  of  the  sea  on  that  desolate  coast.     • 

I  have  avoided  the  use  of  s^  •  ntific  terms,  and 
have  ventured  to  quote  from  some  of  the  few  books 
on  the  subject  without  the  permission  of  the  authors. 
Amongst  these  are  Dr.  Nansen's  Eskimo  Life,  Mr. 
Packard's  The  Labrador  Coast,  Dr.  Harvey's  New 
foundland,  the  Oldest  British  Colony,  Crantz's  Ex- 
plorations in  Greenland,  Hinde's  Explorations  in 
Labrador,  Cartwright's  Journals,  Rev.  J.  Moreton's 
Life  and  Work  in  Newfoundland. 

The  universal  kindness  and  hospitality  extended 
to  the  Mission  Staff  in  Labrador,  Newfoundland  and 
Canada,  and   the  almost  unlimited  scope  for  work, 


Xll 


AUTHOR'S   PREFACE 


have  made  these  three  years,  three  of  the  most 
enjoyable  in  our  lives. 

To  his  Excellency  the  Governor  of  Newfoundland 
Sir  Terence  O'Brien,  K.C.M.G.,  Chairman  of  the  St. 
Johns  Committee,  among  many  others,  our  warm- 
est  thanks  are  due. 

The  illustrations  in  this  volume  are  from  photo- 
graphs taken  on  "  Barnct  Plates "  kindly  presented 
to  the  Society  by  Messrs.  Elliot  &  Fry. 

WILFRED  T.  GRENFELL. 
March  ^  1S95. 


CONTENTS 


The  Country 


CHAPTER   T. 


•  •  a 


CIIAPTER  IT. 
Natural  Features     . 

•  •  • 

CHAPTER   HI. 
Of  the  Birds  and  Larger  Fishes  . 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Of  the  Fur-dearing  Animals  .     '  . 

CHAPTER   V. 
We  go  to  Larrador  and  Start  Work. 

■     ■»- 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Do  People  Live  in  Labrador.? 


•       • 


•        •       • 


rAHF. 

I 

lO 


•  •  • 


17 


.    28 


40 


CHAPTER  vn. 
Just  how  Fish  are  Caught 


•        •        • 


CHAPTER    VHI. 

The  Truck  System     .... 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Results  of  the  First  Visit     . 


.      66 


.      76 


^S 


xiv 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  X. 


PAOB 


Our  Second  Season 102 


'^ 


CHAPTER  XI. 
Our  Voyage  Continued .114 


CHAPTER  XH. 
Conclusion  of  Second  Voyage 


•       •       •       • 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
On  Seals  and  Sealers 


•  •  • 


CHAPTER  XV. 


On  the  Esquimaux    . 


•  •  • 


CHAPTER   XVI. 
The  Deeds  of  Heroes 


APPENDICES. 

A.  Some  Medical  Statistics  . 

B.  Spiritual  Agencies  in  Labrador 

C.  Testimonies  to  the  Work 

D.  Poverty  of  the  People     . 

E.  The  Fishing  Schooners     . 


.    131 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
On  Dogs  and  Difficulties       .       .       .       .       .       .143 


•       • 


•       • 


157 


174 


194 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
We  Appeal  for  Canadian  Sympathy     .       ,       ,       .202 


213 

21S 
22 1 

235 
238 


PAOB 
1 02 


114 


131 


143 


157 


Beach 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


s.s.  P/;:/xc£SS  Mav 

•  •  fl  # 

Entrance  to  St.  Johns  Harbour   . 

A  Shoal  of  Caplin  Jumping  out  on  to  the 

Iceberg  in  August  off  Tub  Harbour 

My  First  Caribou  and  Guide 

Eskimo  Boys 

*       •       •       •       « 

A  Beaver 

The  Albert  in  Bateaux  Harbour 
Hudson  Bay  Company's  Post  at  Rigolette 
Fields  of  Fish  Drying  in  the  Harbour 
Boat  Returning  from  the  Trap 

Snug  Harbour 

Cartwright  Stai'f      .... 

A  Visit  from  Eskimo  .... 

Moravian  Station,  Hopedale  . 

The  PumcEss  May  in  Hamilton  Inlet 

Interior  of  Male  Ward,  Indian  Harbour 

A  Newfoundlander's  Hut,  Labrador 

Interior  of  Indian  Harbour  Hospital 


The  S.S.  Princess  May  in  Merchantman  Harbour  .    131 


XVI 


LIST   Of   JLLVSTlx'ATIOXS 


An  Eskimo  Family,  Hopedale 
Team  of  Dogs  in  Harne:;s 

Eskimo  Family 

The  s.s.  .S"/a'  Doxai.d 

Eskimo  on  an  Island  near  Okkak 
Eskimo  in  Reindeer  Tent,  Okkak  . 
Taken  from  an  Eskimo  Grave  at  Long  Isi 
Eskimo  Brass  Band 


AND, 


PAGB 

151 
165 

J74 
iSi 


E: 


0 


PAr.B 

.   137 

M3 

.  151 

.  '57 

.  165 

>74 

iSi 

205 

VIKINGS    OF    TO-DAY 


CHAPTER   I 


THE    CO UNTR Y 


T  is  said  that  a  recent 
trial,  over  a  dispute 
about  the  fishery  of 
a  small  natural 
harbour  in  La- 
brador, called 
Tub  Harbour, 
had  reached  its 
third  day,  when 
his  lordship, 
leaning-  over  the 
desk,  whispered 
to  counsel,  "  Where 
is  Labrador  "  ?  Not  to 
be  caught,  however,  the 
counsel  w^hispered  back,  "  In  Tub  Harbour,  my  lord." 
Geography,  it  seems,  is  a  sadly  neglected  science. 

Such  being  the  case,  I  have  ventured  to  describe 
the  general   features   of   the   country   in    the    terse, 


VIKI.XGS    OF    TO-DAY 


accurate,   p:niphic,  and    authoritative   words   ot'  the 
Encydopadia  Br  it  a  uuica. 

"Labrador,  properly  so  called,"  sa3's  the  Encyclo- 
pccdiOy  "  is  the  pL'uinsular  portion  of  North  America, 
bounded  by  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  the  North  At- 
kmtic,  Hudson  vStraits,  Hudson  Bay,  and  vaguely 
defined  towards  the  S.W.  b}'  Rupert's  River,  Mistas- 
sini  River,  and  Bersiamits  River.  Its  greatest  length 
is  1,100  miles,  its  greatest*  breadth  700  miles.  The 
area  is  approximately  420,000  square  miles,  that  is, 
as  large  as  the  British  Isles,  France,  and  Austria. 
The  coast  from  Blanc  Sablon,  a  spot  85  miles  up 
the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle,  to  Cape  Chidley  at  the  en- 
trance to  Hi.  ison  Bay  straits,  and  all  the  off-lying 
islands,  with  the  country  inland  about  70  miles,  are 
under  the  government  of  Newfoundland.  The  rest 
is  part  of  the  province  of  Quebec,  under  Canadian 
rule." 

Sterile  and  forbidding  it  lies  among  fogs  and  ice- 
bergs, famous  only  besides  for  dogs  and  cod.  "God 
made  this  country  last,"  says  an  old  navigator.  "  He 
had  no  other  view  in  end  than  to  throw^  together 
here  the  refuse  of  His  materials  as  of  no  use  to 
mankind." 

"  As  a  permanent  abode  of  civilized  man,"  says  the 
Encyclopccdia  Britaunica^  "  Labrador  is,  on  the  whole, 
one  of  the  most  uninviting  spots  on  the  face  of  the 
earth.  A  vast  tableland  occupies  much  of  the  in- 
terior. This  plateau,  says  Professor  Hind,  is  pre- 
eminently   sterile,  and    where    the    country   is    not 


m. 


.,*^-' 


rds   of   the 

lie  Eficyclo- 
h  America, 

North  At- 
id  vaguely 
er,  Mistas- 
test  length 
tiiles.  The 
es,  that  is, 
d  Austria. 
)  miles  up 
at  the  en- 
e  off-lying 

miles,  are 
The  rest 

Canadian 

and  icc- 
)d.  "  God 
tor.     "  He 

together 
[o  use  to 

says  the 

le  whole, 

:e  of  the 

the  in- 

is  pre- 

is    not 


i 


•c 


THE  COUXTRY  3 

burned,  caribou  moss  covers  the  rocks,  with  stunted 
spruce,  birch,  and  aspens  in  the  hollows  and  deep 
ravines.  The  whole  is  strewed  with  an  infmite  num- 
ber of  boulders  often  three  and  lOur  deep.  Language 
fails  to  paint  the  awful  desolation  of  the  tableland 
of  the  Labrador  peninsula.  The  Atlantic  coast  is 
the  edge  of  a  vast  s  iitude  of  rocky  hills,  split  and 
blasted  by  frosts,  and  beaten  by  waves.  Ilcjidlands, 
grim  and  naked,  tower  over  the  waters — often  fan- 
tastic and  picturesque  in  shape — while  miles  and 
miles  of  rocky  precipices  or  tame  monotonous  slopes 
alternate  with  stony  valleys,  winding  away  among 
the  blue  hills  of  the  interior." 

The  cliffs  rise  from  the  ocean  to  a  height  of 
from  r)Oo  to  i,ooo  feet.  The  watershed  of  the  in- 
terior plateau  is  on  an  average  150  miles  from  the 
coast,  and  rises  considerably  over  5,000  feet.  Near 
Cape  Chidley  the  hills  are  close  to  the  sea,  rising  to 
the  height  of  6,000  feet,  and  the  view  from  the  sea 
is  magnificent.  A  powerful  current  coming  from 
Hudson  Bay,  combined  with  the  great  rise  and  fall 
of  tide,  renders  navigation  here  very  dangerous.  A 
high,  bare  peak  of  syenite,  inland  from  Cape  Har- 
rison, and  known  as  Mount  Misery,  is  visible  seventy- 
five  miles. 

We  are  accustomed  to  think  of  Columbus  as  dis- 
covering America,  but  it  seems  certain  thit  about 
the  year  1000,  while  Northman  and  Saxon  were 
struggling  for  pre-eminence  in  this  England  of  ours, 
bold  Vikings  from  Iceland  visited  Labrador.     In  the 


r/A/.\Y;.s  or  io-dw 


I 


.li 


III 


■  I 

■I 


S,ip;ns  of  Htik  the  Red  ;iml  of  Thorrinn  KiirlstTnc,  we 
read  of  a  stranv,.'  land  ihcy  xisilcd  and  called  Vin- 
land  or  A\'in(.land,  whieh  most  probably  was  l.abra- 
ilor.'  Now,  it  is  nvrdk-ss  to  say  uriipc-s  do  not 
abound  in  Labrador,  and  wr  soutlurnt.  rs  should  not 
describe  it  now  as  the  "  Land  of  Wine."  But  we 
must  remember  that  I^rik  cime  from  Iceland,  and 
was  also  possibly  atldieted  to  the  pro\-erbi.d  fault  of 
travellers.  Moreover,  \\\Y-r\  I-irik  returned  from  one 
of  his  voyacres  he  e.illed  the  land  he  had  visited 
"Greenland,"  not  witli  leleicnee  to  its  nature,  be- 
cause Biarni,  a  contemporary  voy;iger,  describes  it 
as  a  land  of  "  mountains  and  hi.qh  ice  hills,"  but  "he 
called  it  Greenland  because,  quoth  he,  people  will  be 
attracted  thither  if  the  land  has  a  good  name."  An 
amusing  incident,  which  T  quote  from  Mr.  Bower's 
paper,  arose  out  of  this.  When  'fhorlinn  Karlstine 
and  Snorri  wcrc>  making- an  endeavour  to  coloni/e 
the  "  X'inland  "  they  most  inappropriately  I'an  short 
of  provisions.  Now  it  so  happened  tlu'V  had  with 
tiiem  Thorhall,  the  huntei'.  "lie  was  a  large  man 
and  strong,  black  and  like  a  giant,  silent  and  foul- 
mouthed  in  his  speech,  and  always  egged  on  ia'ik 
to  the  worst ;  he  was  a  bad  Christian  ;  he  was  well 
acquainted  with  uniniiabited  parts.  'Jborhall  now 
suddenly  disappeared.  'fhey  had  preA'iously  made 
prayers  to  God  for  food,  but  it  did  not  come  iO  quick 
as   thcv   thought    their    necessities    required.      They 


111  I 
III 


*  See  Hon,  L.  ( i.  I'o\vcr\  papc."  ou  "  ViiiLuul,"  read  before  ihc  Nova 
ijcotia  Ilialorical  Society  in   1SS7. 


r  '■ 


m 


scTnc,  wo 

'1 

Ikd  Vin- 

1 

is  I.iibra- 

"hff^M 

c!()    not 

m 

loukl  not 

M 

l^)Ut  we 

fl 

hintl,  ;in».l 

fl 

1   fault  ot" 

B 

from  (^nc 

-9 

d    vi>it(.-d 

Jb 

It  lire,   be- 

« 

scribes  it 

1  ^ 

'  bur  "  he 

9      h 

[e  will  be 
lie."    An 

I'ower's 

'    1    = 

l\arlseine 

colonize 

;in  short 

bad  with 
r^e  man 
ind  foul- 
on    J-a'ik 

Ivas  Well 
all    now 

lly    made 

lO  quick 

Thev 


ihc  Nova 


h 


ft 


Tin:  (oiw /h'Y 


searched  atUT  'riiorhall  ilnvo  clays,  and  IouikI  liiin 
on  the  top  of  a  rock ;  tlurc  he  lay,  and  looked  up 
in  the  sky  and  ^aped  with  both  nose  and  mouth,  and 
murmured  something.  They  ;isked  him  why  he  had 
j^^one  there.  He  said  it  was  no  business  of  theirs. 
They  bade  liim  come  home  with  them,  antl  he  did 
so.  Soon  after,  came  there  a  whale,  and  they  went 
thither  and  eut  it  up,  and  no  om-  knew  what  sort 
of  whale  it  was  ;  and  when  the  eook  dressed  it,  they 
ate  it,  and  all  became  ill  in  conseLjuence.  Then  said 
Thornall :  '  The  red  bearded  was  more  helpful  than 
your  Christ;  this  have  I  ^ot  now  for  my  verses 
that  I  sung  to  Thor,  my  protector.  Seldom  has  he 
deserted  me.  lUit  when  they  came  to  know  this 
they  cast  the  Avhole  whale  into  the  sea,  and  resigned 
their  case  to  God.  Then  the  weather  improved,  and 
it  was  possible  to  row  out  lishin^,  and  they  were 
not  then  in  want  of  food,  for  wild  beasts  were  caught 
on  the  land,  and  lish  in  the  sea,  and  eggs  collected 
on  the  island."  Now,  when  Thorhall  bore  water  to 
the  ship,  and  drank,  then  sang  he  this  song :  — 

"  I'cople  told  me  when  1  came 

Hither,  all  would  be  so  line  ; 
The  good  Wineland,  known  to  fame, 

Rich  in  fruits  and  choicest  wine; 
Now  tlie  water  pail  they  send 

To  the  fountain  I  must  bend, 
Nor  from  out  this  land  di\ine 


Have  I 


ciua 


ffcd 


OfU 


drop  of  wine. 


And  wiien  they  were  reath ,  and   lioisted  sail,   the 
chanted  Thorhall — 


n 


8 


VIKIXGS  OF    TO-DAY 


*'  Let  our  trusty  band 
Haste  to  Fatherland  ; 
Let  our  vessel  brave 
Plough  the  angry  wave  ; 
While  those  few  who  love 
Wincland,  here  may  rove, 
Or,  with  idle  toil 
Fetid  whales  may  boil, 
Here  on  Furderstrand 
Far  from  Fatherland." 

So  that  Vinland,  in  the  year  looo,  to  which  this 
VGyat2,"e  had  been  made  because  "  the  people  of  Brat- 
taliliel  began  to  talk  much  about  it,"  saying-,  "a 
voyage  thither  ought  to  be  particularly  prolitable 
by  reason  ol"  the  fertility  of  the  soil,"  appears  to 
have  turned  out  no  better  than  we  found  Labrador 
in  1891.  The  famous  log-books  of  George  Cart- 
wright,^  written  about  1790,  give  a  more  reliable 
account  of  the  country,  and  he  appears  at  first  to 
have  found  it  profitable  to  make  voyages  thither. 
The  animals,  and  not  the  vegetables,  engaged  his 
attention,  and  he  would  ha\e  made  a  remunerative 
business  of  it  had  not  first  pirates  and  then  priva- 
teers despoiled  him  of  his  ships,  and  outfits,  and 
\vares. 

In  Labrador  now,  work  as  he  may,  one  man 
cannot  keep  the  wolf  from  the  door — the  Eskimo 
and  natives  of  the  coast,  the  mountaineer  and 
hunter  Indians  of  the  interior,  and  the  white  settlers, 
are  alike  often   face   to   face  with  starvation.      The 

'   Journals  o-    George   Cartiiright. 


TliE   COVXTRY 


hich  this 
I  of  Brat- 
yiiii^-,   "a 
proli  table 
pp.'ars   to 
Labrador 
•e   Cart- 
reliable 
lirst  to 
thither, 
iged    his 
nerative 
n  priva- 
lits,   and 


two  former  are  rapidly  dyinu"  out,  while  Jimong  the 
latter  it  is  only  where  a  settler  has  mrown-iip  sons 
to  work  with  him,  and  a  good  supply  of  stoek  in 
boats,  nets,  traps  and  suns  to  help  him,  that  he 
ean  make  anything  approachin^  to  what  we  in 
England  should  consider  a  respectable  living.  Even 
with  these  helps,  and  with  steady,  h.ard  work,  and 
with  sound  health,  he  seldom  can  hope  to  lay  up 
store  against  times  of  misfortune.  True  in  Eng- 
land the  poor  often  see  hai'd  times,  and  have  to 
face  occasionally  poverty  and  hunger.  Moivowr, 
as  Richard  W'hitbourne,  that  plucky  ]'.riti^h  sea-ciog, 


says 


1    it 


It    hath    beene    in    some    winters    so    hard 


frozen,  aboue  London  bridge  near  the  court,  that 
the  tenderest  I'aire  ladies  and  gentlewomen  that  arc 
in  Liny  part  of  the  world,  who  have  beheld  il,  and 
great  numbers  of  people,  have  there  sported  on  the 
ice  many  dayes,  and  have  felt  it  colder  there,  than 
men  doe  here,  that  live  in  Newfoundland."  A'et  we 
must  take  into  consideration  tliLit  here  absolute  want 
is  the  exception,  there  the  rule. 

'    l\icharii  Wliitboiirne. 


ne  ma  n 
Eskimo 
.^er  and 
settlers, 
■1.      The 


CHAPTER   II 


NATURAL  FEATURES 


%  \ 


!!li 


'ABRADOR  rocks 
J—'  are  of  the  oldest 
formation  (Lauren- 
tian  gneiss),  and  de- 
stitute of  remains  of 
anim^:!  or  plant  life; 
so  that  they,  too, 
maintain  the  general 
harmony  of  desola- 
tion. On  the  south 
shore,  lower  Silurian 
sandstones,  red  sye- 
nite, and  one  splendid 
massof  basalt,  known 
as  the  "Devil's 
Table,"  crop  out. 

The  action  of  ice 
and  lire  are  shown 
in  marvellous  manners  on  this  w^ird  coast.  Not  only 
is  every  rock,  mountain,  and  pinnacle  crowned  with 
countless  boulders,  wiiich  seem  but  to  need  a  shake 
to  set  myriads  tumbling  down  every  incline,  but  the 
whole  coast  is  carved  and  chiselled  in  a  wondrous 


A  shoal  of  caplin  jumping  out  on  to  the  beach. 


KA  7  UA\  I L    FEA  T  URES 


1  1 


>0R    rocks 
•f  the  oldest 
1     (Lauren- 
ss),  and  de- 
remains  of 
r  plant  life ; 
they,    too, 
the  general 
of  desola- 
the  south 
;er  Silurian 
s,  red  sye- 
ne  splendid 
salt,  known 
"Devil's 
rop  out. 
tion  of  ice 
re   shown 
Not  only 
A^ned  with 
id  a  shake 
.e,  but  the 
wondrous 


'-■'I 
la 


m 


manner  by  a  glacial  period  that  lasted  much  longer 
than  in  Europe  ;  while  the  fierce  frost  of  winter  has 
blasted  mighty  rocks,  and  left,  wherever  a  resting- 
place  could  be  found,  huge  fragments.  Jagged  and 
rough,  "  hurled  aloft,  as  they  appear,  by  the  hands 
of  Titans."^ 

That  long  before  the  ice  period  volcanic  fires 
helped  to  mould  the  hills,  is  well  shown  by  the  out- 
crop here  and  again  of  trap  rocks.  Especially  near 
the  hospital  at  Indian  Harbour  is  this  the  case, 
where  the  light  and  polished  quartzite  rocks  are 
capped  with  black  trap  rocks  which  have  overflowed 
them.  These  rocks  are  marked  with  deep  half-moon 
shaped  cuts,  running  east  and  west — done  by  ice 
— and  "showing  that  Hamilton  Inlet,  which  at  the 
mouth  is  forty  miles  wide,  was  once  filled  with  an 
enormous  glacier."  ^ 

Near  Hopedale  a  beautiful  blue  and  bronze  iri- 
descent felspar  is  found.  It  is  called  labradorite,^ 
and  when  polished  glistens  in  the  sunlight  like  a 
peacock's  feather.  It  is  used  for  brooches,  and  oc- 
casionally for  ornamenting  buildings.  We  dropped 
anchor  one  night  near  an  island  almost  entirely 
composed  of  this. 

Copper  pyrites,  mica,  asbestos,  ;\  ith  salts  of  some 
of  the  rarer  metals,  such  as  yttrium  and  rubidium, 
have  been  found  on  the  coast.  One  mining  com- 
pany works  for  labradorite  during  the  summer. 


'  Packard's  The  Labrador  Coast. 

^  Ibid.,  gives  fuller  information. 


Ibid. 


d 


^1 


12 


VIKIXGS   OF    TO-DAY 


In  the  inlets  and  along  the  rivers  bome  trees  and 
aretic  plants  are  found.  These  are  more  especially 
spruces,  larches,  mosses,  and  lichens.  Birches,  aspen, 
silver  fir,  willow,  cherr}',  and  mountain  ash,  how- 
ever, exist  in  favourable  spots.  I  have  seen  good 
60  ft.  spars  from  the  end  of  .Sandwich  Bay.  The 
trees  get  more  and  more  dwarfed  lis  one  goes  north, 
and  be3'ond  the  59th  parallel  the  merest  scrub  exists, 
The  botanical  aspect,  however,  which  chielly  interests 
the  settlers,  is  the  number  of  edible  berries,  which 
form  a  valuable  addition  to  their  articles  of  diet. 
These  are  bakeapplcs  or  cloudberries,  cranberries, 
whortleberries,  bilberries,  tea-berries,  gooseberries, 
raspberries,  and  currants,  'iliey  are  preserved  in 
water,  or  in  molasses  when  it  is  obtainable,  against 
the  winter. 

\'ery  few  vegetables  can  be  grown,  though  with 
care,  up  the  inlets  a  few  potatoes,  cabbages,  and 
turnip  tops  have  been  raised.  The  .Moravian  mis- 
sionaries have  to  cover  their  vegetables  up  at  night 
to  keep  them  warm.  This  lack  of  vegetables  is 
tritely  expressed  in  the  diary  of  a  gentleman  winter- 
ing on  the  north  coast ;  the  entr^'  describing  his  diet 
runs  as  follows  — 


ditto, 
ditto, 
ditto, 
ditto. 

found  a  blade  of  grass.     Eat  the 
whole  of  it. 


u^ 


XATl'RAL    FEATURES 


13 


le  trees  and 

•e  espccir'illy 

•ches,  aspen,             i 

n  a^h,  how- 

:;   seen   good 

Bay.      The 

j^oes  nortli, 

bcrub  exists. 

'fly  interests              % 

Ties,   which              '' 

:les   of  diet. 

cranberries, 

gooseberries. 

)reserved   in              I 

ble,  against 

1 
hough  with 

)bages,   and 

'avian  mis- 

Lip  at  night 

getables    is 

lan  winter- 

ng  liis  diet 

Cartwright  (1786'  adds  a  list  of  hi^  own  ot"  indi- 
genous vegetable  delicacies — 

I.  Vounf^  osier  leaves. 
?..  Red  dock  leaves. 

3.  Scurvy  grass. 

4.  .Alexander,  or  wild  celery. 

5.  Indian  salad. 

6.  Alpine  plant. 

7.  Fathen. 

There  is  a  charming  catholicit}'  about  thi>  old  sea- 
dog  and  trapp:'r. 

The  tips  of  the  3'oung  spruce  branches  are  used 
for  making  a  non-intoxicating  beer,  being  boiled 
with  molasses.  When  other  tea  gives  out,  the  leaves 
of  ma  uvsi  are  used.  These  are  know*n  as  Labrador 
tea.^ 

The  Saga  of  Lief  Erikson  thus  describes  a  conver- 
sation between  the  \'iking  and  his  old  henchman 
Tyrker,  who,  for  two  or  three  days,  had  wandered 
from  the  party:  "Why  wert  thou  so  l;ite,  my  fos- 
terer, and  sepanited  from  the  ]')arty':'"  "I  have  not 
been  much  further  off,  but  still  1  ha\e  something- 
new  to  tell  of:  J  found  grapes  and  vines."  "  P>ut  is 
that  true,  my  fosterer?"  tpioth  Lief.  "  vSurely  is  it 
true,'"  replied  he;  "for  I  was  bred  up  where  there 
is  no  want  of  either  vines  or  gnipes."  They  said 
that  next  day  they  fJlcd  their  long  boat  with  grapes. 
But  we  must,  I  fear,  consider  this  a  "  traveller's 
licence,"  as  we  must  also  when  old  Richard  "\\'hit- 
bourne  describes  the  wild  berries  of  Newfoundland. 
"  There  the  summer  naturally  produceth  out  of  the 

^  Le.'!u;!!  latifoUnDi  is  a!>o  calied  Labrador  tea. 


'f 


t4 


VIKIXGS   OF   TODAY 


fruitful  woombe  of  the  carthc,  without  the  labour  of 
man's  hand,  p^rcat  plenty  of  p:reene  pease  and  fitches 
faire,  round,  full  and  wholesome  .  .  .  great  store 
of  hay  also  .  .  .  Then  liave  j'ou  here  strau- 
berries  red  and  white,  and  as  faire  rasberries  and 
gooseberries  as  there  be  in  England ;  as  also  multi- 
tudes of  bilberries,  which  are  called  by  some  whortes, 
and  many  other  delicate  berries,  which  I  cannot 
name,  i.i  great  abundance. 

Peares, 

Sowre  cherries, 

Filberds, 
of  which  divers  times  eating  their  fill,  I  never  heard 
of  any  man  whose  health  was  thereby  any  way  im- 
paired." 

The  rivers  contain  salmon  for  about  one  month 
in  the  summer.  These  seem,  however,  to  be  very 
susceptible  to  cold,  and  are  seldom  taken  north  of 
Hopedale.  In  seasons  when  the  drift  ice  remains 
long  on  the  coast  the  number  of  salmon  caught  is 
always  largely  diminished.  They  seldom  take  a  fly. 
On  the  other  hand  the  trout  are  ver}'  A'oracious, 
very  large  and  numerous,  and  will  rise  at  any  bait.^ 
They  remain  all  the  year,  and  are  easily  caught  in 
winter  by  cutting  a  hole  in  the  ice  and  letting  down 
a  hook  with  a  bit  of  raw  meat.  The  women  largely 
replenish  their  larder  in  this  \\^y.  Cod  are  far  and 
away  the  most  important  of  all  Labrador-  products 
at  present — they  are  called  "fish,"  and  even  in  legal 
terms  are  the  only  denizens  of  the  sea  recognised  as 

*  There  is  a  large  salmon-trout  fishery  at  Ungava. 


NA T URA L   FEA TV RES 


15 


he  labour  of 
e  and  fitches 
great  store 
here  strau- 
Lsberrics  and 
s  also  multi- 
omc  Avhortes, 
ich   I   cannot 


never  heard 
any  way  im- 

t  one  month 
•,  to  be  very 
ken  north  of 
ice  remains 
m  caught  is 
take  a  fly. 
tv   voracious, 
.t  any  bait.^ 
iy  caught  in 
letting  down 
imen  largely 
are  far  and 
[or-  products 
ren  in  legal 
:C0gnised  as 

iava. 


"  fish."  In  summer  they  come  into  shallow  water, 
first  in  pursuit  of  a  small  fish  known  as  "caplin," 
and  then  remain  probably  to  spawn  before  seeking  the 
deeper  water  in  winter.  It  is  unlikely  that  in  their 
migrations  they  cross  any  large  portion  of  the  Atlantic. 

The  caplin  come  to  the  shallow  water  in  count- 
less myriads  to  spawn.  They  are  somewhat  like  a 
sardine,  only  a  little  larger.  At  times  they  blacken 
the  water,  and  so  crowd  one  another  as  they  swim 
along  the  very  edge  of  the  water  in  calm  weather 
that  every  ripple  of  the  sea  leaves  numbers  strug- 
gling on  the  strand,  till  at  times  the  whole  beach  is 
hidden  by  dead  and  dying  fish.  Further  north  these 
caplin  visit  the  shore  later  in  the  year.  They  are 
followed  always  by  immense  numbers  of  cod.  I 
havo  seen  cod  also  so  thick  that  even  in  deep  water 
there  seemed  no  room  for  them,  their  backs  being 
constantly  out  of  water.  This  is  called  the  "  caplin 
school,"  and  on  the  catch  of  cod  during  their  visit 
the  success  of  a  whole  fishery  will  depend. 

While  the  "caplin  school"  lasts  the  most  intense 
excitement  exists.  The  men  will  work  day  and 
night,  with  scarcely  an  hour  in  twent3'-four  for 
sleep,  even  eating  their  meals  in  their  boats.  The 
cod  at  this  time  will  not  take  bait,  and  are  caught 
in  traps  in  the  way  described  in  a  subsequent 
chapter,  or  are  hauled  in  a  huge  seine,  by  which  a 
"  school  "  is  surrounded.  Alas,  sometimes  so  many 
icebergs  are  driven  inshore,  that  the  precious  time 
slips  by  without  any  opportunity  of  fishing,  though 


1 

■ 

1 

1 

' 

1 

1 

1               , 1 

1 

I6 


\  Ik'fXGS   OF    TODA  Y 


all   the   m:'n,  with   boats   ani.1    ^car,  are   waiting   on 
shore  in  the  greatest  anxiety  to  be  "  up  and  at  the 
fish."     The  caplin   are   sometimes  smoked  and    kept 
lor  food,  but  usually  arc  dried  on  the  rocks  for  dog- 
food   in   winter.      Messrs.   Munn,  ot    Harbour  Grace, 
have   tinned   them  like  sardines,  and  they  are   then 
excellent  eating.     The  sea  also  affords  "hair"  seals; 
these  are  caught   in  nets  in  the  fall  of  the  3'ear,  or 
are    shot   swimming    in    the   bays    in   summer   time. 
Whales   are   common   on   the  coast,   but   the   people 
now  have  no   means  of    taking   them.     I   saw   two 
small   right-whales  which    had   been  washed   up  on 
the  beach,   and   also  one   very  large   sperm  whale. 
Fourteen  hundred  gallons  of  oil  was  taken  from  his 
head.     So  long  ago  as  the   15th  century,  before  the 
discovery  of  America,    Basque    whalers  are  said   to 
have  lished  these  waters,     in  the  far  north,  at  Un- 
gava,    the    Hudson's    Bay    people    make    a    regular 
attempt   to   intercept    the    large  schools  of  porpoises. 
At   times   they  will   get   as  many  as    i.")0,  some  in- 
dividuals  weighing  a  ton  each.     They  are  used   for 
their    skin   and    fat,    and    their    llesh    for    dog    food. 
This   is   put    raw    into   old    Hour    barrels,   and    then 
buried    in    the    ground,    usually    in    June,    and     in 
October   it   will    be   dug   up  again.       Decomposition 
will  have  made  the  flesh  swell  up,  and  the  barrels 
Avill  haA'C   burst.      As,   however,   the   whole  is  now 
frozen,  the   wood   can  be  removed,   and   the  barrel- 
shaped   masses  of    frozen   and   unsavoury  flesh   are 
stored  away  for  the  dogs'  repasts. 


waiting   on 
)  and  at  the 
cd  and    kept 
ocks  for  dog 
rbour  Grace, 
ley  are   then 
'hair"  seals; 
the  3'ear,  or 
ummer   time, 
t   the   people 
I   saw   two 
ashed  up  on 
>perm  "whale. 
J  ken  from  his 
■y,  before  the 
arc  said   to 
lorth,  at  Un- 
c    a    regular 
of  porpoises. 
,  some  in- 
are  used   for 
or    dog    food. 
s.   and    then 
Line,    and    in 
)ccomposition 
.1  the  barrels 
hole  is  noAv 
I   the  barrel - 
ry  flesh  are 


CHAPTER    III 


OF    THE    BIRDS   AXD  I.ARGI-R    F/S/IES 


^wm^:^m^ 


H 


':T  -^.:»i.. 


IccLerg  ill  August  off  TuL  IlaiLour 


ERRJxXG.S  were 
once  in  great 
numbers  on  the 
coast,  and  were  so 
much  larger  and 
fatter  than  our  Eng- 
lish herring,  that  at 
times  knaves  have 
Ibund  it  worth  whik? 
to  imitate  the  "  La- 
brador Herring  " 
brand.  Of  late  years 
Ihcy  have  failed  al- 
most entirely  to 
visit  the  coast,  and 
fishery  stations  have 
had  to  be  abandoned 
where   once  the   sea 


was  "  dry  with  fat  herring."  As  many  as  4,000 
barrels  have  been  surrounded  with  the  seine  at  one 
shoot  of  the  net.  The  only  oihtr  common  lish  is 
the   sculpin,  pig-lish,  or  grubby.      IL*  is  a  voracious 

»7  r 


4 


jii 


hi 


iS 


IJKIXaS   OF    To- DAY 


scavL-njL^cr,  and,  in  foul  companionship  with  his  iVientl 
the  flounder,  may  \rj  scon  sweltering  on  the  rotting 
heaps  of  offal  which  surround  every  Labrador  fish- 
stage.  He  appears  to  have  no  feelings,  but  one  all- 
absorbing  idea — '*  to  swallow  "  with  his  stupendous 
mouth.  I  have  caught  on  the  sharp-pronged  jigger, 
whcr.  fishing  for  "  tom-cod  "  for  breakfast,  the  same 
sculpin  three  times  in  succession,  until  for  self-pro- 
tection it  was  necessary  to  club  him  with  a  rowing 
pin. 

The  sleeper  shark  also  infests  the  coast,  and  in 
hundreds  gather  to  devour  the  dead  bodies  of  the 
baby  seals  left  by  the  sealers  in  the  spring.  It  has 
a  callous  nature,  and  Scoresby  tells  us,  on  one  occa- 
sion while  one  was  feeding  on  a  dead  whale,  and 
scooping  out  at  each  bite  pieces  as  large  as  a  man's 
head,  a  sailor  pierced  it  through  with  a  scythe 
knife.  It  took  little  notice,  however,  and  wx^nt  on 
feeding  in  exactl}^  the  s;imL'  spot.  ^Mackerel  appear 
in  the  straits  of  Belle  Isle  only. 

Two  series  of  submarine  banks  lie  off  the  Labrador 
shores,  over  wiiich  it  is  shallow  enough  to  fish  with 
small  boats  and  hand  lines.  These  have  been  esti- 
mated to  cover  an  area  of  over  7,000  square  miles. 
Over  these  the  northern  current  spreads  countless 
(finimalcula?,  in  the  form  of  a  vast  ocean  of  living 
slime.  This  food  attracts  the  bait  fishes  especially, 
and  they,  in  turn,  attract  the  cod.  No  doubt  also, 
this  is  the  attraction  to  the  numerous  w^hales,  whose 
loud  "  blowing,"  as  they  laze  along  in  the  sunshine 


'  1 


I 


m< 


OF  nil-  lunns  am)  largicu  i  isiiiis 


19 


h  his  friend 
tiie  rotting 
brador  iish- 
but  one  all- 
stupendous 
nged  jigger, 
St,  the  same 
lor  self-pro- 
th  a  rowing 


or  hunt  \\>\\  loi"  tluir  livelihood,  alone  bieaks  at 
times  the  death-liive  silenee  in  the  lonely  bays  and 
inlets.  A  large  spL'rm  whale,  70  feet  long,  was 
towed  into  Battle  Harbour  our  fn'st  year.  This 
variety  has  large  teeth,  whieh  are  used  by  ivory 
cutters.  A  Captain  Clarice,  writing  in  1706,  narrates 
how  a  sperm  whale  charged  one  of  his  boats;  it 
struck  the  bow  with  such  violence  that  it  threw  his 
son,  who  was  harpooning,  some  feet  into  the  air.  The 
whale  turned  and  caught  him  in  her  devouring  jaws 
as  he  came  down.  lie  was  heard  to  scream,  and 
part  of  his  body  was  seen  hanging  out  of  its  mouth, 
when  it  "sounded."  A  small  but  beautiful  Avhale, 
"as  white  as  a  sheet,"  is  common  on  the  coast.  I 
have  seen  it  caught  in  cod-traps.  Its  skin  makes 
excellent  leather.  The  hump-back  whale,  and  more 
rarely  the  right-whale  are  also  to  be  seen.  The 
ferocious  "thresher"  whide  also  visits  us.  It  has 
terrible  teeth,  and  one  variety  has  also  a  huge  back- 
tin,  six  feet  high,  with  which  the  lishermen  say  they 
h['ve  seen  it  beating  its  prey  to  death. ^  Captain 
Scammon  tells  us  of  an  attack  by  three  threshers 
on  a  huge  cow-whale  and  her  baby  in  a  bay.  "  Like 
wolves  they  iljw  at  her  throat,  dragging  her  under 
water,  the  others  charging  at  her  and  leaping  right 
over  her.  At  last  they  killed  the  baby,  and  when 
it  sank  kept  diving  down  and  coming  up  with  large 
pieces   of  its   flesh.      Meanwhile,    the    poor    mother 

*  Goodc's   UnUcd  States  Fisheries. 


^ 


JU 


\JKJ.\aS   UJ-     JU  DAY 


made  her  c.cape,  leaving  a  lung  tiiiek  of  Muod 
behind  her."  1  ha\e  Hred  Iruni  my  boat  at  liie 
gi'ampus,  but  wiliiuut  sueeess.  Mr.  Maeken/ie,  of 
ilk'  JliidM)!!  Hay  Comixiny,  iu>\ve\(.'i',  tokl  me  he  was 
onee  slaiunng  up  in  his  small  boat,  wailing  lor  a 
seal,  when  he  saw  a  gram|nis  rising  lo  llu'  siiilaee 
alongside.  7\s  its  head  emerged  iVom  the  walci",  he 
lired  straight  at  the  blow-hole,  with  tlu'  le.siilt  ihal 
the  single  explosive  ball  penetrated  the  animal's 
brain,  and  he  rolled  over  dead  without  a  sliiiggle. 
Not  an  unfortunate  issue  as  far  as  the  small  boat 
was  coneerned. 

Pliny  speaks  of  a  whale  ooo  feet  long  !  Another 
traveller's  license  I  feiir.  A  hundred  feet  is,  as  lai* 
as  I  know,  an  outside  limit,  'i'lie  whale-bone  hangs 
from  the  roof  of  the  mouth,  is  short  in  iVont  and 
behind,  and  is  at  best  sitme  six  feet  long.  It  is 
seythe-shaped,  and  edged  with  long  eoarse  libres, 
whieh  sweej)  o\er  the  huge  .soft  tongue,  liltering  oil 
the  slime  on  whieh  these  whales  i.»^.  'Ihree  hun- 
di"ed  and  Mfty  pieces  are  found  on  each  side. 

The  narwhale,  with  his  long  tusk,  eight  feet  long, 
with  wiiieli  he  pokes  up  the  sea  grass  on  which  he 
feeds,  was  once  common  on  this  coast.  Some  say 
he  uses  the  tusk  to  bore  holes  through,  tlie  ice,  and 
.^0  get  air  to  breathe.  The  tusk  is  reidly  an  incisoi^ 
tooth,  or  two  incisor  teeth  enormously  ])rolonged, 
and  twisted  round  one  another.  W'heri.'  no  wood  is 
found  the  Liskimo  hang  their  tents  on  these  ivory 
rafters. 


boat  al  Ilk' 
lacki-nzic,  ot 
l1  nu-  lu-  was 
,ailiiiii,  lt>r  ii 
)  ilu'  suila^c 
lu'  walci",  1k' 
ic-  \\>u\[  thai 
Ilk'  aniinal's 
II  a  slrii,Lii;lc. 
c  small    boat 

ii;  !     Another 

L'ct   is,  as  lar 

c-boiu'  lKini>s 

in  front    and 

lonL;.     It   is 

oarsc    librc'S, 

,  liltciinL;  oU" 

'Jhav  hun- 

1  side. 

In  Icct  lonii:, 
on  wliivh  he 
Some   say 
the  iee,  and 
ly  an  incisur 
|y    proloni;ed, 
110  wood  is 
these  ivorv 


^ 


OF    THE   BIRDS   AND   LARGER    FISHES 


<] 


The  sword-fish  is  a  doubtful  visitor,  though  he 
is  taken  off  Greenland  and  on  the  American  v-^oast. 
Many  are  the  authentic  accounts  of  ships  he  has 
attacked  and  even  sunk.^  He  will  weigh  as  much 
as  600  lbs.,  and  Professor  Owen  says,  "  he  strikes 
with  the  accumulated  force  of  fifteen  double-handed 
hammers,  and  its  velocity  is  equal  to  that  of 
swivel  shot."  In  1S64  one,  for  which  a  sailor  was 
angling,  stove  a  hole  through  the  bottom  of  the 
ship  Dreadnought^  and  so  "  the  insurance  company 
had  to  pay  £600  because  an  ill-tempered  fish  ob- 
jected to  be  hooked,  and  took  revenge  by  running 
full  tilt  against  copper  sheathing  and  wood  plank- 
ing." Also  in  1864  Captain  Atwood  took  from  the 
stomach  of  a  large  shark  a  full-sized  sword-fish, 
but  the  shark's  skin  was  pierced  with  a  dozen 
holes,  showing  how  much  the  daint}"  morsel  had 
objected  to  being  swallowed.  Hanging  with  the 
armour  of  Christopher  Columbus  at  Siena,  in  Spain, 
is  a  swora  of  this  lish,  said  to  be  "  taken  from  a 
'warrior  they  slew  on  nearing  America." 

The  fowl  of  the  air  are  a  most  important  factor 
in  Labrador  life.  Among  many  land  birds  that  do 
occur,  far  the  most  important  are  the  willow  grousj 
and  the  spruce  partridge.  The  former  are  large 
birds,  tawny  red  in  summer,  and  wliite  as  driven 
snow  in  winter. '•^  At  that  season  many  depend  on 
these  birds  to  keep  them  from  ^tarvalion,  and  even 
when  a  settler's  ammunition  has  all  run  out,  he  can 

'  (ioudc's    UiiUid  Status  Fisheries, 

-  Tlie  willow  grouse  very  rarely  lake  to  ihe  trees,  the  spruce  i)aitiiiliie 
almost  always. 


i 


'•i'HJm'i 


24 


VIKIXGS    OF    TODAY 


!<    ,  ! 


::( 


M 


El  III! 


sometimes  noose  them  with  strini;  on  the  end  of  a 
lonj^  sticlx  as  they  roost  in  the  trees,  so  tame  are 
they.     Like  Alexander  vSelkirk's  animals-- 

"  Tlicy  are  50  unacquainted  with  man 
Their  tamencis  is  shocking  to  nic." 

A  covey  in  a  tree  ran  l^e  killed  ri^ht  out.  it  shot 
from  the  bottom  upwards,  so  that  ihe  fallinci-  bird 
does  not  disturb  the  rest.  A  common  entry  of  Cart- 
wright's  ^  is,  "Saw  a  covey  of  six  carouse.  Knocked 
off  all  their  hejids  with  my  rifle. " - 

The  willow  carouse  in  heavy  weather  bury  them- 
selves in  the  snow,  only  the  cock  bird,  who  acts  as 
sentry,  Jvcepinij:  his  head  above  .cround  to  watch  for 
an  enemy.  Besides  these  "spruce"  grouse,  thrushes, 
American  robins,  warblers,  red  poles,  snow  buntings, 
sparrows,  larks,  woodpeckers,  crews,  hawks,  and 
owls  occur.  The  snowy  owl  is  an  exquisite  white 
in  winter,  brown  in  summer,  and  a  large  bird.  The 
jay,  also,  is  very  common,  filling  the  woods  with  its 
cries.  Now  and  again  the  beautiful  gyrfalcon  is 
seen,  whilst  the  ospre}',  or  sea  eagle,  also  breeds  on 
the  coast.  All  these  birds  are  American  A'arietios, 
and  differ  slightly  from  our  British  species. 

There  is  a  great  wealth  of  sea-birds,  and  until  the 
last  two  years  the  arctic  curlew  ranked  first  among 
these.  I  fear  in  Labrador  we  class  all  our  animals 
in  a  descendin.'v  order,  with  the  llesh-pot  as  the 
basis.      These  curlew   came    north,   in    flocks   v.hich 

'   Cartvvrii^'u's  /.'//;•// 7 '.(•. 

-  '!"()  ecoiiDiiii/e  imwdur,   llic  sctllers  fic<|ii'"'i''y   -'loot   ihc.-c  Mnls  with 
liuws  and  arruws.     'VUc  .11  rows  arc  club  hci'led. 


OF    THE    BIRDS    AXD    LARCFR    FISHES 


2:^ 


id  of  a 
imo  arc 


if  shot 
r.c;  bird 
of  Cart- 
\ nocked 

y  them- 
acts  as 
alch  for 
brushes, 
untings, 
s,   and 
e  \vhite 
d.     The 
with  its 
dcon   is 
eeds  on 
arietios, 

mtii  the 
among 

animals 
as    the 

;   which 

l/iiil-  svilh 


nearly  darl<ened  the  air,  in  September,  fi'eding  on 
the  numerous  benaes,  and  returned  south  in  October. 
The  last  three  years  they  have  ahnost  disappeared. 
The  settlers  say  that,  owing  to  their  tlepredations  on 
the  American  cornfields,  poisoned  wheat  was  laid 
out  for  them,  and  this  led  \^  their  wholesale  destruc- 
tion.    Their  annual  visit  can  be  ill  spared  indeed. 

Perhaps  one  should  mention  next  the  Canada 
goose.  Great  numbers  of  these  breed  near  the  great 
lakes  or  ponds.  They  are  largely  graminivorous, 
and  therefore  do  not  combine  the  flavours  of  fish  and 
flesh,  which  we  find  so  unpleasant  in  the  gulls  and* 
clivers.  It  is  usual,  however,  to  catch  these  when 
young,  and  confine  them  in  bounds,  for  in  this  way 
not  only  is  the  ilesh  rendered  much  sweeter  to  the 
palate,  but  since  they  grow  ver}^  tame,  they  are  used 
as  decoys  for  other  geese.  One  man  last  \'ear  an- 
chored out  by  one  leg  his  tame  decoy  goose,  and  so 
shot  no  less  than  thirty  other  geese.  But,  in  his 
anxiety  for  more,  unwittingly  left  his  pjt  too  long 
in  the  water,  with  the  result  that  it  died  of  cold  ; 
and  so  the  goose  ^yith  the  golden — or  in  this  c:.se 
"  feathered " — eggs  was  lost.  It  shows  these  birds 
do  feel  the  cold.  It  is  not  waste  to  shoot  a  hundred 
geese  the  same  day,  for  it  is  onh'  necessary  to  hang 
them  up  in  rows  outside  the  house  on  nails,  and  they 
will  remain  frozen  and  fresh  all  winter. 

Both  eider  ducks  and  the  king  eiders  abound  on 
the  coast.  In  huge  flocks  early  in  November  the}' 
come  to   the  south'ard,  generally  with   a  north-east 


26 


VIKINGS   OF    TO-DAY 


wind,  and  then  in  quick  succession  flock  after  flock, 
taking  almost  all  exactly  the  same  line.  Near 
Battle  hospital  is  a  barren,  rocky  point  known  as 
"  Gunning  "  Point.  Here,  under  the  above  circum- 
stances, you  can  always  And  some  half  -  dozen 
"Livyeres,"  with  long  guns  and  dogs,  waiting  for  the 
flocks.  It  is  difficult  to  say  whether  the  dogs  or  the 
guns  are  most  remarkable.  I  measured  one  gun,  six 
feet  two  inches  long,  and  when  it  was  discharged  it 
was  always  an  open  question  which  end  of  it  would 
do  most  damage,  for  the  adventurous  hunter  always 
loaded  it  "  ten  lingers  "  deep.  When  a  flock  pass, 
all  the  guns  are  discharged  simultaneously,  and  the 
ducks,  w^hich  at  times  respond  in  showers,  are  nomin- 
ally divided  equall3\ 

But  now  comes  the  excitement.  As  a  rule  a  huge 
Atlantic  surf,  with  these  north-east  winds,  breaks 
over  the  point,  and  the  splendid  pluck  and  endurance 
of  the  dogs  is  taxed  to  the  uttermost.  Dashing  into 
the  weaves,  I  have  seen  them  repeatedly  hurled  back, 
bruised  and  winded,  high  on  to  the  ledges  of  rock, 
only  to  be  dragged  off  by  the  return  wave  and  once 
more  pounded  on  to  the  rocks.  To  avoid  this,  the 
brave  beasts  hold  on  with  the  energy  of  despair,  and 
many  times  have  I  noted  their  bleeding  paws,  and 
nails  torn  off  in  the  unequal  struggle.  Yet  they 
would  at  once  return  to  the  charge,  and,  waiting 
their  chance,  leap  right  over  the  breaking  crest,  and 
so  get  clear  of  the  surf.  Once  they  have  seized  a 
duck  they  never  let  it  go,  and  I  have  often  felt  sorely 


OF    THE   BIRDS   AND   LARGER   FISHES 


V 


tempted  even  to  jump  in  and  give  the  brave  creatures 
a  hand,  when  it  seemed  impossible  for  them  to  keep 
up  the  struggle  any  longer.  Yet,  after  being  lost  to 
view,  engulfed  by  a  huge  breaker,  one  would  sec 
soon  a  duck  appear,  and  after  it  a  dog's  head,  still 
true  to  its  hazardous  duty.  Sometimes,  however, 
they  are  really  lost. 

Petrels,  loons,  divers,  gulls,  guillemots,  widgeon, 
teal,  scoters,  puffins,  shanks,  sandpipers  and  other 
waders  abound.  These  are  shot  in  the  fall,  and 
salted  down  for  future  consumption.  Their  eggs  are 
also  collected  for  eating ;  and  though  we  found  even 
the  eggs  of  the  domestic  hen,  when  allowed  to  feed 
on  fish  remains,  too  highly  flavoured  to  be  appetizing, 
yet  I  have  seen  healthy  babies  flourishing  on  gulls' 
eggs.  Whitbourne,  writing  in  1612,  speaks  of  the 
utility  of  the  penguin — the  great  auk  was  common 
then.  He  says,  "  These  penguins  are  bigge  as  geese, 
and  flye  not,  for  they  haue  but  a  short  wing,  and 
they  multiply  so  infinitely  upon  a  certain  flat  Hand, 
that  men  drive  them  from  thence  upon  a  boord  into 
their  boats  by  hundreds  at  a  time ;  as  if  God  had 
made  the  innocency  of  so  poore  a  creature  to  become 
such  an  admirable  instrument  for  the  sustentation  of 
man."  Then,  as  now,  he  saj^s  the  "  fishermen  doe 
bait  their  hookes  with  the  flesh,"  and  al^o  that  they 
were  so  fat  that  the  men  drew  threads  through  under 
the  skin  and  used  them  as  candles. 


UU.<|l><»HMUtf.;U 


III 


CHAPTER   IV 


OF    THE    FUR-BEARIXG    ANIMALS 


F'OR  food  purpo-cs 
.'I  m  o  11  g  land 
.'inimals  the  caribou, 
which  closely  re- 
sembles the  reindeer, 
ranks  (irst.  These 
roam  ovxn*  the  in- 
terior in  great  quan- 
tities, feeding  on  the 
very  plentiful  Iceland 
moss.  In  winter  they 
scrape  away  the  snow 
with  their  large  cow- 
like hoofs  to  get  at 
it.  In  Newfoundland 
they  are  very  plenti- 
ful in  the  interior, 
and  Mr.  W.  Tyrrell 
of  Winnipeg  told  me,  that  on  the  west  side  of  Hud- 
son Bay  he  found  thousands,  so  tame  they  would  eat 
out  of  his  hands.  They  migrate  north  in  summer, 
and  south  in  winter,  due,  says  Rac,  to  their  "  sense 


tbkinio  Boys, 


OF    THE    FUR-BEAR  IXC    AXIMALS 


29 


of  polarity,"  but  I  should  prL-^unic  in  search  ot"  food. 
They  are  difficult  to  lind  in  the  woods,  for  the  colour 
of  their  skins  varies  with  the  seasons,  and  always 
closely  resembles  their  sui-roundin,us.  Unfortunately 
they  are  too  far  inland  for  the  majority  of  settlers 
to  reach. 

The  stays  have  magnificent  antlers,  which  are 
especially  line  about  October,  tiie  rutting-  season. 
With  these  the}'  fight  fiercely,  goini^-  down  on  their 
knees,  and  striking  with  the  powerful  brow-antlers. 
I  have  .seen  several  pairs  of  "  locked  horns "  that 
have  been  picked  up,  the  poor  creatures  having"  got 
these  fixed  and  died  side  by  side  of  starvation. 

A  hunter  this  fall,  having  skinned  a  young  stag 
he  had  killed,  put  the  skin  over  him  so  that  the 
horns,  which  were  attached,  came  on  his  head,  lie 
then  walked  out  towards  a  herd  of  does,  o\er  which 
a  line  stag  was  keeping  zealous  watch  as  they 
grazed  on  the  open  marsh.  They  [illowed  him  to 
come  within  range,  and  then  tlie  stag,  mistaking 
him  for  a  rival,  actually  charged  down  ujwn  him. 

Polar  bears  are  not  uncommon,  and  [\\'kt  were 
killed  this  season  near  Cape  Chidlev.  Cajitain 
Blandford,  of  the  s.s.  A'cplimc^  told  me  tiiat,  having 
sent  some  men  ashore  for  water  in  a  strange  har- 
bour near  Cape  Chidley,  they  returned  in  great 
haste,  calling  for  their  guns,  and  shouting,  "  IJears  !  " 
They  were  soon  perceived  from  the  ship  to  be  firing, 
shot  after  shot  being  heard  in  rapid  succession,  and 
great    expectations   were   raised   oi    bear   steak    for 


30 


VIKINGS   OF   TO-DAY 


dinner.  At  last  the  hunters  returned  with  downcast 
countenances.  The  bears  proved  to  be  only  inflated 
heads,  which  some  Eskimo  were  using  as  buoys  for 
their  lines.  * 

In  one  boat  going  out  to  their  fish  trap  were  seven 
men,  six  rowing,  and  the  skipper  standing  on  the 
stern  seat,  steering  with  an  oar. 

Suddenly  a  large  white  bear  was  sighted  swim- 
ming close  to  the  boat.  There  was  no  gun  on  board, 
and  yet  the  men  were  loath  to  lose  so  rich  a  prize. 
Chase  was  therefore  given,  and  the  skipper  kept 
hurling  at  the  bear  the  large  two-pronged  lead 
"jigger,"  with  a  stout  line  attached.  Each  time  he 
threw  it  the  bear  warded  it  oft',  striking  it  a  smart 
blow  with  his  fore-paw.  At  last  one  jigger  came  fast, 
and  then  another,  till  the  bear,  who  seemed  only 
bent  on  escape,  and  was  now  wearied  with  repeated 
diving,  was  hauled  near  the  boat,  and  first  clubbed 
with  an  oar,  and  then  despatched  with  an  axe. 

Black  bears  are  very  common.  They  are,  as  a 
rule,  herbivorous,  eating  the  wild  berries,  and  insect- 
ivorous; but  one  night  a  settler  I  was  staying  with 
showed  me  the  skin  of  a  large  bear  he  had  just 
trapped.  He  w^as  living  at  the  mouth  of  a  trout 
and  salmon  river,  the  entrance  to  which  he  barred 
with  nets.  Two  bears  happening  to  observe  some 
fish  struggling  in  the  net  on  the  surface  of  the 
water  near  the  land  were,  I  suppose,  tempted  to 
feloniously  sample  the  unexpected  windfall,  and 
having  once  erred,  continued  their  wild  career.    For 


I  ■' 


OF    THE   FUR-DEARIXG  AXIMALS 


31 


the  settler  told  me  they  learnt  rei^ulaiiy  to  come 
down  and  haul  his  nets,  dra,u:,2:ins  them  to  the  land, 
and  not  only  eating  out  the  lish,  but  severely 
damaging  the  nets.  But  punishment  had  been  meted 
out  to  one  in  the  form  of  a  charge  of  buckshot,  to 
the  other  b}''  a  steel  trap. 

Cartwright  thus  illustrates  the  power  of  this  bear : 
"We  discovered  this  morning  the  damage  done  by 
a  polar  bear  to  a  cask  of  oil.  It  was  of  strong  oak 
staves,  well  secured  by  thick,  broad  hoops  of  birch. 
Yet  with  one  blow  of  his  tremendous  paw^  he  had 
snapped  off  the  four  chime  hoops  and  broken  the 
staves  short  off." 

The  most  valuable  fur  animals  are  the  fox,  otter, 
beaver,  mink,  marten,  and  lynx.  Musk-rats,  squirrel, 
and  hares  at-e  also  plentiful.  The  porcupine  is  not 
uncommon,  One  specimen  I  shot  was  larger  than  a 
sucking  pig.  The  long  black  hair,  which  almost 
obscures  the  short  quills,  made  it  resemble  a  bear  as 
it  sat  asleep  on  a  bough  at  the  top  of  a  fir  tree.  A 
bullet  through  the  head  brought  it  down  at  once, 
but  even  when  mortally  wounded  they  will  cling  to 
the  boughs,  and  you  may  have  to  fell  the  tree.  I 
sa\v  a  dog  one  day  worrying  one.  The  porcupine, 
with  its  head  well  down,  waited  for  the  dog  to  come 
near,  and  then  switched  round  his  tail  end,  on  which 
are  most  spikes,  with  lightning  speed,  hoping  to 
leave  some  in  his  enemy's  nose.  The  quills  are  all 
barbed,  so  that  they  "  work  in."  In  this  way  they 
will  kill  dogs,  wolves,  and  foxes.    A  fox  was  found 


I 


oo 


r/A'/  \Y,S    UF    l(Jl).\  V 


dead  near  llopcdale,  its  ^kin  ruined  i\v  festering 
sores,  whieh,  on  examination,  showed  the  ends  ol  tlie 
blaek  and  wliite  c|uills.  It  is  vei'v  amusinu  U)  see 
how  easily  it  wards  oil'  an  I'neniy  by  alwass  tui-ninu>' 
its  baek  to  iiini  !  W'iien  the  doL-  was  tired  out,  tiie 
porcupine  went  up  tlie  neare^t  tree,  had  a  good  nieal, 
and   Went  to  sleep  on  a  boUL;h. 

lilaek  or  "silver"  I'ox  skins  are  \er>'  \aluable. 
For  one  ,u,ood  bUiek  skin  I  have  known  £170  u,i\'en 
by  a  Russian  nobleman.  The  average  retail  value  ol 
silver  Ibx  skins  is  nearly  £r/).  Now  the  cunnin*;-  of 
Ibxes  is  proverbial,  but  Cartwri.L^ht  tells  us  a  story 
of  vulpine  iniienuity  in  a  marten.  One  day  he  was 
^i»,oini;-  to  travel  a  loni;"  distaniX',  and  desired  to  lea\e 
a  deposit  of  food  lor  his  return  journey.  He  feared 
to  bury  it,  because  foxes  would  be  sure  to  liiid  it,  so 
elimbinu,  a  tree  he  huni;-  it  by  a  strini;  from  one  of 
the  branches.  Shortly  alter  a  marten  canu  along, 
and  espied  the  dainty  morsel  high  over  his  head. 
Whether  he  had  watched  old  Cartwright  climbing, 
or  whether  it  was  an  inspiration,  the  tale  does  not 
say,  but  in  any  case  it  climbed  the  tree  also,  gnawed 
through  the  string,  and  then,  with  an  appetite 
whetted  by  the  exercise,  had  a  sqULire  ni^ul  at  its 
leisure. 

Walking  one  day  through  thick  wood  we  came 
across  li  regular  "  pathway,"  the  trees  having  been 
felled  to  make  travelling  easy.  A  glance  al  the 
stumps  showed  that  it  was  a  road  cut  by  beavers, 
to  enable  them  to  drag  their  boughs  of  birch  along 


:!1B. 


ot   llic 

lo   sec 

uriiini;-' 

lit,   ilu' 

iKuiblo. 
)  sj,ivcn 
\d\l\(l  ot 

ninij;  of 
a  siory 
he  was 
lo  leave 
v'  I  eared 
lid  it,  so 
le  ot" 


I  on 


&i 


IS 


alon 


head. 


llimbhii-, 

Lloes  no! 

oHLlWet 


appetite 
Id   at   its 


Ive  cLimc' 
in<j;  been 
al  the 
1  beavers, 
:h  alon.^^ 


33 


D 


0/''    Till':    FUR  liEARlXG   A  \ I M A  LS 


39 


more  easily.  The  pathway  led  to  a  lar^c  house  on 
the  ed^e  of  a  lake,  and,  fortunately  for  us,  the  beaver 
was  at  home.  There  were  other  houses  on  an  island 
in  the  lake,  and  below  them  all  a  lar^e,  strong'  dam, 
some  thirty  yards  lon,L»-,  built  the  shape  of  a  half- 
moon,  and  below  this  two  more  complete  dams  across 
the  river  that  flowed  out.  The  dams  were  made  of 
lar^e  tree-trunks,  with  quantities  of  lesser  boughs, 
and  were  many  feet  thick,  and  very  d-flicult  to  break 
down.  The  houses  were  built  half  on  land,  half  in 
the  water.  The  sittinu-room  is  upstairs  on  the  Ixink, 
and  so  is  the  "  crew's  "  bedroom,  and  the  front  door 
made  at  least  three  feet  below  the  surface  to  prevent 
being  "frozen  out  "  in  winter,  or,  worse  still,  "frozen 
in." 

The  whole  house  was  neatly  rounded  off,  and  so 
plastered  with  mud  as  to  be  w^arm  and  weather- 
proof. This  is  done  by  means  of  their  trowel-like 
tails,  which  are  also  of  ^reat  use  in  swimming. 
The  house  was  so  strong  that  even  with  an  axe  we 
could  not  get  in  without  very  considerable  delay. 
In  the  deep  pond  they  had  dammed  up,  we  found  a 
quantity  of  birch  poles  pegged  out.  The  bark  of 
these  forms  their  winter  food,  and  is  called  "  browse." 
The  beaver  cuts  off  enough  for  dinner,  and  takes 
it  into  his  house.  Sitting  up,  he  takes  the  stem 
in  his  fore  paws,  and  rolls  it  round  and  round 
against  his  chisel-shaped  incisor  teeth,  swallowing 
the  long  ribands  of  bark  thus  stripped  off.  While 
entering  the  house   the  stick  often  sets  off  a  trap 


36 


VIKINGS   OF    TODAY 


set  for  them.  The  trappers  say  they  do  this  pur- 
posel}'.  When  surprised  they  retreat  to  holes  in  the 
bank,  of  which  the  entrances  are  hidden  under  water. 
Tiiese  ;ire  called  "  hovels." 

Beavers  alw;iys  work  up  wind  when  fellinij,'  trees, 
and  cut  them  on  the  water  side,  so  that  they  fall 
into  the  pond  if  possible,  and  the  wind  helps  to  blow 
them  home.  This  beaver  we  caught  proved  to  be  a 
hermit — at  leas*"  he  was  living  alone.  He  may  have 
been  a  widower  of  unusual  constancy.  They  6j  not 
destroy  fish,  their  food  in  summer  being  preferably 
the  stem  of  the  water-lilies.  Otters  occasionally 
kill  and  eat  beavers.  When  they  call  the  beaver 
has  to  try  and  be  "  not  at  home."  Of  the  other 
animals  I  have  not  space  to  say  much.  The  blue- 
grey  hare  is  a  large  animal,  and  like  all  the  others 
turns  white  in  winter — so  wonderfully  does  God  re- 
member all  His  creatures. 

The  pretty  little  squirrel  is  very  tame.  Like  a 
good  sen3ible  fellow  he  makes  round  holes  in  the 
ground,  and  hides  enough  berries  for  his  "  winter 
diet." 

The  clim:ite  of  Labrador  is  rigorous  in  the  ex- 
treme, in  spite  of  the  fact  that  in  summer,  especially 
in  the  inlets,  the  thermometer  sometimes  registers 
75°  and  even  So'  F.  Icefields  from  Baffin's  Bay  and 
Davis  Strait  block  the  coast  from  October  to  June, 
the  sea  freezing  entirely  over  all  alfjng  the  shore. 
Over  this  all  the  winter  travelling  is  done,  but  some- 
times the  commotion  below  so  moves  the  ice  up  and 


OF    THE   FUR-BEARING  ANIMALS 


iH 


down  that  a  team  of  dogs  with  their  skd.Lie  will  only 
move  backwards  when  a  swell  arises.  The  average 
temperature  all  the  year  round  is  at  Ilopedale  27^ F., 
at  Nain  22-5"  F.,  that  is  a  mean  average  tempera- 
ture of  5'  and  9-5"  respectively  of  frost.  During  the 
months  the  sea  is  opc.i,  countless  islands  of  ice  are 
driven  all  along  the  coast,  while  snowslips  often 
make  the  land  dangerous.  A  settler,  his  two  sons, 
and  son-in-law  were  ascending  the  slope  of  an  island 
near  Sandwich  Bay  to  witness  the  first  break-up  of 
the  ice  in  spring,  when  an  avalanche  of  snow  buried 
all  but  one  son,  who  was  a  few  yards  behind  the 
rest.  Rushing  to  where  he  saw  his  father  last,  and 
tearing  away  the  hard-frozen  snow  with  hand  anJ 
foot,  he  came  eventually  on  his  father's  head,  four 
feet  below  the  surface.  Though  his  father  heard  the 
son  searching,  he  could  neither  stir  nor  shout  to 
guide  him,  from  the  weight  of  snow^  over  him.  This 
man  told  me  the  sad  story.  The  other  two  lads 
vrere  lost. 

Storms  of  exceptional  violence  and  of  sudden  onset 
occasionally  visit  the  coast.  The  wind  seems  to  b!ow 
from  all  quarters  at  once,  hurling  clouds  of  sea-water 
as  dust,  often  mixed  with  icy  spicules,  far  over  the 
land.  A  few  years  ago  a  vessel  in  Black  Tickle, 
lying  at  anchor  near  Gready,  wtis  carried  up  and  left 
on  the  rocks  twenty  feet  above  high-water  line ;  at 
the  same  time  £4,000  of  damage  was  done,  in  that  one 
harbour  alone,  by  all  the  stages  with  the  summer's 
voyage  of    lish   and   all    the   boats    being    suddenly 


m    > 


38 


VIKINGS  or   JO-DAY 


washed  away.  It  was  then  October,  and  snow  was 
on  the  ground.  All  the  survivors  left  as  soon  as 
possible.  On  returning  next  year  an  old  man  of 
this  vessel  was  found  dead  beneath  the  snow,  his 
hands  crossed,  his  eyes  bandaged.  Evidently  he  had 
laid  himself  out  for  burial.  On  October  9,  1867,  in 
one  of  these  sudden  gales,  forty  vessels  were  hurled 
on  the  rocks.  Forty  poor  souls  lost  their  lives,  and 
fifteen  hundred  people  were  cast  ashore 

Again  on  October  26,  1885,  in  a  similar  hurricane 
80  vessels  were  lost,  70  lives,  and  2,000  men,  women, 
and  children  left  on  the  coast.  The  Newfoundland 
Government  had  to  send  up  spe>"ial  steamers  to 
bring  these  people  home. 

Easterly  gales  especially,  as  the  water  is  deep, 
heave  in  a  most  wonderful  ground-swell.  Close  to 
the  land,  I  have  in  our  little  steamer  been  so  low 
down  in  these  great  watery  valleys,  that,  standing 
on  deck,  we  could  not  see  even  the  tops  of  the  hills 
over  the  crest  of  the  next  wave.  Admiral  Bayfield 
says,  "  It  bursts  with  fury  right  over  islands  thirty 
feet  in  height,  sending  sheets  of  foam  and  spray, 
sparkling  in  the  sunbeams  fifty  feet  up  the  sides  of 
precipices." 

One  feature,  however,  of  rare  beauty  is  peculiar 
to  these  Arctic  regions.  I  mean  the  Aurora  Bor- 
ealis.  At  times  one  radiant  crov/n  circles  the  zenith ; 
at  others,  vast  columns  of  light  advancing  across 
the  heavens  keep  changing  shape  like  battalions  of 
men  attacking,  the  varying  uniforms  of  these  fiying 


OF    THE  FUK-nCARIXG    AMMALS  o^ 

squadrons  resplendent   with   every  diade  of  violet 
red  and  gold ;   at  others  deadly  pale  phantoms  creep 
ghost-like   upwards   from   the   northern  horizon,  till 
the  whole   space  overhead   is   tilled  with  quivering 
rays.     Icebergs,  till  ;iow  invisible,  reveal  their  bane- 
ful presence ;  but  affnost  before  the  sailor  has  time 
to  note   their   bearings,  these   transient  glories  arc 
suddenly  extinguished,  and  the  sea  and  sky  are  once 
more  plunged  into  darkness,  all  the  more  death-like 
for  the  contrast,  so  that  men  call  it,  "  The  dead  at 
play."     The  weird  mirage  also  serves  to  add  mystery 
to  these  regions.     Often  have  we  seen  huge  icebergs 
as  if  capsized,  and  hovering  in  the  waves  of  ether 
over  the   stern   realities    below,   as    though   kissing 
them  and  rejoicii/g  in  iheir  power  for  evil. 


I 


Mountaineer  Indians  on  the  Sir  Donald. 


i« 


CHAPTER  V 

WE   GO   TO   LABRADOR  AXD   START   WORK 

/^N  June  If),  1892,  the  .^ood  ship  Albert,  97  tons 
^^  retiister,  and  151  displacement,  was  towed  out 
of  Great  Yarmouth  TIarbour,  and  amidst  many  lare- 
wells  from  wharves,  quays  and  piei's,  spread  her 
canvas  lor  her  lirst  transatlantic  voyage.  Trimmer 
ship  never  left  port  bound  on  such  a  journey.  Stout 
timbers,  tcakwood  decks,  iron  hatches,  new  runnin.t;- 
.c:ear— nothing-  had  been  lb r,u:otten— and  in  li,<;ht  airs 
of  summer  or  whole  ,^ales  in  winter,  I  want  no 
snugger  vessel.  The  four  A'oyriges  made  by  her  at 
present,  under  the  care  of  Captain  Trezisc  and  his 
crew  of  eight  men,  certainly  deserve  notice  here. 

1S92.     Bound    out.     l-rom    T^astnet    Rock    to    St. 
Johns.     Nineteen  days. 

40 


V/E   CO    TO    LABKADOh'   AXD   STAh'T    WORK     4 1 


.ons 
out 
arc- 
her 
mcr 
.out 

Hirs 

no 

at 

his 

St. 


Bound  home.  From  St.  Jolins  to  Start  Liuhlhouse. 
Twelve  days. 

1893.  Bound  out.  I'rom  I'^ustnet  Ivoek  to  St. 
Johns.     Seventeen  days. 

Bound  home,  l-'rom  St.  Johns  to  Grc.;t  Yarmouth. 
Twelve  and  a  halt   days.  • 

Our  best  twenty-four  hours'  work  was  240  miles, 
registered  on  two  harpoon  loc;s.  Tlie  Cut  that  we 
registered  under  100  tons,  allowed  us  to  carry 
an  uncertiiicated  nic'itc  —  Skipper  Joe  White,  so 
well  known  in  the  North  Se;i.  It  al>o  made  my 
cei  lificate  as  a  competent  master  of  some  piactical 
use.  Al"t(  r  visiting  the  mission  vessel  Julivard  Birk- 
bcck,  at  work  among  Manx  and  Ji'ish  lishermen  off 
the  south-west  coast  of  Ireland,  we  followed  the 
course  taken  by  Cabot  in  his  cai-;ivel,  the  Jfafl/iciv, 
nearly  400  years  ago,  and  made  a  landfall  directly 
opposite  St.  Johns  Harbour.  I  Icre  a  scenj  of  the 
wildest  confusion  greeted  us.  The  prosperous  city  we 
expected  to  see  liad  been  almost  blotted  out  by  lire; 
and  still  amidst  the  ruins  of  churches,  public  build- 
ings and  private  dwellings,  smoke  and  llames  arose  in 
all  parts  of  the  city  exultant  and  unsubdued,  looking 
at  night-time  like  glutted  vultures  over  their  help- 
less pre3\  Warehouses,  wharves,  .and  even  vessels 
at  anchor,  had  shared  the  same  fate,  so  that  landing 
at  all  was  a  diilicult  matter  at  first.  In  the  streets, 
here  and  there,  were  disconsolate  groups  of  men,  ex- 
cavating from  tons  of  fallen  masonry,  safes  which 
had  proved   none   too  sale,  and  which,  lying  burnt, 


42 


VIKI.VGS   OF    TO-DAY 


battered,  and   discarded  at   intervals,  served   to  en- 
hance the  sense  of  general  desolation. 

From  the  harbour  the  first  appearance  suggested 
the  ruins  of  Pompeii,  for  the  wooden  houses  of  12,000 
people  had  gone  up  in  smoke,  leaving  only  rows  of 
blackened  and  scorched  pillars  rising  from  the 
charred  debris.  On  closer  inspection,  however,  the 
illusion  was  dispelled,  for  the  pillars  proved  to  be 
tottering  brick  chimneys,  with  two  or  three  half- 
destroyed  fire-grates  above  one  another,  the  whole 
being  topped  by  most  prosaic  cracked  chimney-pots. 
Queer  things  had  happened  in  the  general  panic. 
Patients  vv^ho  had  lain  in  bed  for  years  "arose  and 
walked."  Barrels  of  dry  goods  were  rolled  pell-mell 
into  the  harbour,  whence  they  were  subsequently 
fished  out.  Tslerchants  gave  general  leave  to  by- 
standers to  save  what  they  liked  from  their  shops. 
Church  pews  were  packed  with  heterogeneous  goods 
and  chattels,  which  only  served  to  add  to  the  con- 
flagration when  the  sanctuary  itself  fell  a  victim 
to  the  all-devouring  flames.  Title  deeds,  recent 
enactments  of  parliament,  ledgers,  valuable  manu- 
scripts, were  destroyed  in  scores ;  wiiile,  as  the  fire 
occurred  just  before  tea-time,  thousands  found  them- 
selves houseless,  hungry,  dusty  and  "  smoke-dried ' 
by  morning.  To  meet  these  sudden  needs  every 
available  building  was  thrown  open  for  shelter, 
while  weak  tea  and  light  refreshments  were  served 
out,  in  every  variety  of  pot,  kettle,  and  cauldron 
available,  by  cabinet  ministers  from  the  steps  of  the 


WE   GO    TO   LABRADOR   A  AD   START    WORK 


43 


Government  buildings.  The  respected  premier  was 
to  have  been  seen  at  an  early  hour  of  the  morning 
with  a  background  of  blazing  houses,  in  a  most 
precarious  position  astride  an  angular  roof,  putting 
out  burning  embers  as  they  fell.  Nor  did  the 
flames  cry  "Quarter"  to  the  episcopal  apron,  even 
his  lordship  escaping  coatless.  It  was  said  that 
a  jeweller,  who  had  at  the  last  moment  sent  his 
assistant  to  put  valuables  in  the  safe,  found  on 
opening  it  afterward  a  dust  brush  and  an  old  match- 
box only.  One  man  was  noticed  skurrying  up  the 
hill  with  a  feather  mattress  on  his  back,  all  un- 
conscious it  was  brightly  burning;  while  one,  like 
another  Nero  over  another  Rome,  was  seen  playing 
a  piano  in  the  open  street,  that  had  been  hastily 
deposited  there  by  its  flying  owner.  The  musical 
tastes  of  the  community  were  impressively  brought 
out  by  the  fact  that  some  dozen  "  borrowed  "  pianos 
were  rescued  from  houses  in  neighbouring  villages, 
when  authority  was  once  more  able  to  cope  with 
disorder. 

Forest  fires  continued  to  rage  in  every  direction 
for  days  and  weeks  after,  till  the  greater  part  of  the 
peninsula  of  Avalon  was  treeless,  many  country 
homesteads  sharing  the  same  fate  as  the  city.  In 
some  planter  cottages  I  visited,  I  found  men  who 
had  been  fighting  for  their  lives,  homes,  and  posses- 
sions for  days  with  these  forest  fires.  In  some  cases 
the  women,  children,  and  goods  had  been  carried 
out  and  deposited  for  safety  for  two  or  three  days 


■f'* 


i 


ill 


44 


r/A'/.\v/.s  or  To-DA  y 


on  llu'  C'tlucs  of  the  <;i\';it  "  ponds,"  iis  ihc  lui,L;e 
hikes  all  owi"  tlic  i'oiiiUi'y  iwc  calkel. 

Most  wise  enactments  on  tlie  p;irl  of  the  author- 
ities pi-e\-enti'd  \vh;it  nii.LilU  Ii.'ive  led  to  sei-ioLis  riots. 
All  public-Iiouses  and  liqiioi"  sliops  were  promptly 
closed,  and  several  attempts  at  ineendiari-m  wore 
nipped  in  the  Iniil.  ^et,  aniitKt  all  th^  ir  own 
ttoubles,  the  NcwtounUlanders  toiind  time  to  show 
tis  lin'  i;re':test  r-t'  kindnesses.  vSo  mueh  so  that  it 
would  bv  inxidioiis  hei\.'  to  p  ii't  ieulari/e  one  more 
tli;in  anoilier.  \\'hik>  in  St.  Johns  -w  xisitccl  e\-erv 
-hip  in  harboui-,  uixin*;  a\\;i\-  "  i-e;ulin',"  ;nid  hndini;- 
out  all  we  eould  aeom  tin-  lishei'meii  and  li-heries. 
4"he  llosi^ital  Mission  h-liip,  with  lier  ear.uo  of  warm 
clotliiuLi',  some  of  ',,  hieh  w;is  at  onee  in  demand, 
her  medieinc-s,  and  her  stores  of  liealthy  literature, 
spoke  praetieally  (^f  warni  hearts  in  the  old  country, 
still  dear  to  all  her  distant  children,  and  serveil  to 
provt>  to  tlii--,  k.er  oklest  t'olony,  that  kaiii'land  is  still 
a  mother  in  more  than  name.  I  kindreds  of  all 
classes  and  d/non.inations  poui-ed  down  to  see  the 
Alhri'l  when  once  her  mission  was  understood,  ibr 
it  took  time  to  realize  th;it  the  lo\'ely  ship,  with 
such  admirable  equipment,  w.is  really  free  for  the 
poor  and  sic!;  of  bleak*  Laerador.  A  pilot  havini;" 
been  provided  ibr  us  in  the  person  of  Captain 
Nicholas  I 'itz.i2,era]d,  the  Albcrf  sailed  Ibr  I.abrad  -r. 

Dense  foii,-  prevailed  for  lour  da\'s,  so  th;it  the  end 
e\'en  of  our  own  bowsprit  was  scarcely  visible,  the 
Albert  slandiny,'  accoi\!in:;ly  well  out  to  eea,  "  lirother 


i  V 


d    to 
still 


the 


tor 


\vi 


th 

ho 


r  he 


m; 


)t;iin 


end 

the 

liher 


45 


H7i    GO    TO   LAliUADuR   AND   STAA'i     WORK     47 


l-'o^horn"  huviriL;  it  all  his  own  way.  On  the  fourth 
day  wc  caught  a  glimpse  of  Cape  liaukl,  the  north- 
east corner  of  Newfoundlanil,  and  then  the  im- 
penetrable Veil  dropped  a.i»ain  Our  only  oeeupation 
had  been  our  deep  sea  thermometer,  which  registered 
generally  from  28-30"  l*^ahren.  in  two  to  three 
hundred  fathoms.  On  Sunday  we  once  more  sijj^hted 
land.  The  foji,  had  j^one,  and  was  replai'ed  by  a 
bright  clear  day  -not  a  cloud  in  the  sky,  not  a 
ripple  on  the  dark  blue  water.  Innumerable  rocky 
islands  and  lofty  headlands  were  visible  away  on 
the  port  bow—  some  showing  a  bright  yellow  from 
the  mos^co  tuid  lichens  on  them.  Around  us  we 
could  count  thirty  magnilicent  icebergs — chips  from 
the  eternal  Arctic  ice.  A  school  of  whales  were 
sporting  under  our  lee,  every  now  and  again  throw- 
ing jets  of  glistening  water  high  into  the  aii.  The 
scene  to  our  eager  (?yes  was  one  indeed  of  sur- 
passing interest  and  beaut}'. 

Our  pilot's  experience  was  at  once  on  trial,  for 
only  a  very  imperfect  sur\'ey  exists  of  the  coast 
And  not  one  single  landmark,  lightship,  buoy,  01 
distinguishing  mark  exists  to  aid  the  mariner  any- 
where along  this  dreary  coast,  a  lack  not  remedied 
by  the  luxuriance  of  fogs  and  icebergs.  It  stood 
the  test  well.  lie  pronounced  the  spot  "  Roundhill 
Island." 

After  passing  through  a  precipitous  rocky  en- 
trance, half  closed  by  a  stranded  mountain  of  ice,  on 
which  the  long  swell  of  the  Atlantic  was  thunder- 


^1 


l\ 


i 


I 


^'' 


1^ 


V/h'IXuS   ul'    TO  DAY 


ingf,  we  droppc'cl  imrlinr  o(T  ;i  \o\vj^  n;irro\v  creek, 
ruLincI  whi^h  uiir  L-Uisses  i-ummLcI  rikL'  lishin.n'  stages 
and  nnid  huts,  'riie  naiiic  ol  Ihc  haiboiir  was 
Domino. 

I''ivc  minulcs  was  lon.L;  enoii^Ii  lo  briii!;  several 
small  boats  aionnside,  willi  eaL;er  incjiiiries  as  to  who 
this  strange  \c^.sel  miyht  be  !  Wiieie  was  it  bound? 
what  was  its  errand  'i  while  a  Ww  more  minutes 
saw  Us  IxiuL;  swillly  rowcd  ashore  to  eome  and  see 
G who  Iiad  Ihcii  "  bad  all  sumniei"." 

Soon  1  was  sitting;  in  a  tiny,  dark  mud  hut,  with 
neither  .i^lass  in  the  hole  that  ser\ed  loi*  liL;ht  and  air, 
nor  a  ehimnc y  to  rai'i'y  up  the  smoke  iVoni  the  lire 
on  the  Moor,  through  the  lar,i;e  hoU'  in  the  foot' 
inlcnekd  lof  its  eseajX'.  A  L!,i"oaninL!,  man  sat  doulMed 
up  on  a  iikIl-  Ivneh  in  a  dark  eoiaier  ol"  the  room, 
whik'  his  wile  endea\oui"ed  lo  ivstrain  the  super- 
abundant energy  of  a  ei'owd  of  ehikhvn.  "  lieen  ill 
loni;?"  1  asked,  after  the  usual  greetings  had  been 
exehan.ned.  "  About  three  weeks.  ^\'ish  1  could 
get  home.  There's  no  ehanee  tor  a  siek  man  up 
here."  Evidently  he  did  not  yet  mrasp  the  idea  of 
our  hospital  ship.  "Well,  we'll  see  what  can  be 
done,"  and  the  ease  was  inquired  into,  and  found  to 
my  joy  'o  be  one  for  which  relief  could,  by  care, 
be  olHained.  After  some  further  talk,  in  which  one 
or  two  lishermen  joined,  who  had  entered  during 
the  examination,  we  had  a  few  words  of  j^rayer  for 
God's  blessing-  on  the  means  used,  and  left  for  the 
ship,  leaving   behind  us,  for  the  Albert' i<  lir.st    eveii- 


HE  CO    TO   I.MthWnnlC   A  \  f)  .ST.  I  AT    H'Oh'h'      |«) 


vn 
Lild 
up 
of 
be 
to 
re, 
lie 
11*'' 
lor 
Ihe 
;ri- 


inp:  in  Labrador,  at  least  one  poor  heart  ^M'ateful  — 
and  thou^htt'ul.  A  hearty  service  aborird  and  many 
minor  cases  of  sickness  closed  the  day.  Daylight 
a^ain  saw  boats  alongside  the  Albert,  and  we  were 
called  to  visit  a  poor  Iiskimo  dyin^  from  constimption. 
He  had  been  brouj^ht  from  an  island  four  days  before, 
and  was  lying  in  a  lonely  hut,  hopinu:  ^omc  day  that 
he  would  be  well  enoucjh  to  jret  aboard  the  mail 
steamer  for  advice. 

The  poor  hou^e  was  indeed  ill-calculated  for  a 
dyin^  man— ill-vcntilatcd,  ill-li-zhtcd,  and  dirty — 
with  little  clcthin^,  and  still  les>^  food,  semi-starva- 
tion was  rapidly  hastening  on  the  end.  Oh,  for  a 
clean  bed,  a  nurse,  a  hospital,  to  put  such  cases  in, 
was  the  whole  talk  over  tea  that  evening.  All  was 
done  that  could  be.  P'ood,  medicine,  and  some  warm 
clothing  were  taken  him  ;  but  ere  the  Albert  came 
>outh  again,  death  had  claimed  the  poor  fellow  foi- 
its  victim,  and  closed  the  sad  scene  of  human  suffer- 
ing ;  and  the  valley  of  shadows  had  been  crossed 
without  the  knowledge  of  a  Saviour,  who  takes 
away  all  its  sting.  At  whose  door  will  this  fault 
be  laid?  Not  more  than  once  a  year  does  the  sound 
of  the  glad  tidings  of  God's  grace  reach  Spotted 
Isl;md,  the  home  still  of  some  lifty  persons. 

To  avoid  repetition,  I  must  now  content  myself 
by  giving  a  general  description  of  the  people  of 
this  coast  and  their  methods  of  earning  a  living. 


llud.soii  l!ay  Company's  Post,  Rijoleite. 


CTTAPTER   VI 


DO  PEOPLE  LIVE  IN  LABRADOR? 


\\ 


DO  people  live  in  Labrador  ?  There  is  a  resident 
white  population  of  some  5,000  at  least,  scat- 
tered aloni;'  the  south  and  east  coasts.  They  call 
themselves  "Livyeres."  North  of  these  are  Eskimos, 
nnd  in  the  interior  Indians,  known  locally  as  "  Moun- 
taineers," but  actually  they  are  different  branches 
of  the  old  Algonquin  race.  The  last  returns  were  as 
follows  : — 


White  population  of  St.  Lawrence  coast. 

„  ,,  Adantic  coast 

Eskimo  on  the  coast        .... 
'odians  of  the  interior     .... 


so 


4,411 
2,416 
1,700 
4, coo 

12,527 


■rt 
kit- 
all 

jCS, 

in- 

ilS 


DO   PEOPLE   LIVE   IX   LABRADOR? 


6t 


These  Indians,  who  once  held  North  America  from 
the  "Rockies"  to  the  sea,  have  steadily  decreased 
in  numbers.  As  they  live  by  hiintint;-  only,  the  ex 
tensive  forest  fires,  and  depletion  of  fur-bearing 
animals,  have  driven  them  further  and  further  west. 
Whole  encampments  have  been  reported  "  found  dead 
from  starvation."  Only  occasionally  do  they  visit 
the  coast,  bringinc:  furs  with  them  to  trade  with 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company.  They  never  take  to  sea 
fishing. 

The  Eskimo,  of  IMongolian  origin,  at  one  time 
were  as  far  south  as  Newfoundland.  In  17S0  a 
tribe  500  strong  still  dwelt  along  the  Straits  of 
Belle  Isle.  Now  almost  all  are  north  of  Hamilton 
inlet ;  of  these  I  shall  speak  kiter. 

Whence  do  the  whites  come  ?  Some  are  said  to 
be  descendants  of  those  who  lied  the  old  country  in 
press-gang  days.  In  1780  we  hear  of  a  crew  of  con- 
victs sent  out  there.  Some  are  descendants  of  sailors 
wrecked  on  the  coast,  or  of  Newfoundland  and  other 
fishermen  who  have  been  left  there.  More  come 
from  those  who  have  gone  out  in  the  service  of  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company,  while  some  few  have  emi- 
grated directly  there.  The  largest  settlement  consists 
of  about  100  persons,  and  with  the  people  of  neigh- 
bouring coves  numbers  about  350.  It  is  here  where 
the  mission  has  built  the  first  hospital  ever  known 
in  Labrador.  In  May  or  June  every  year  the 
coast  is  visited  by  from  20  to  2;),ooo  fishermen, 
women  and  children.     These  arrive  as   soon  as  the 


52 


VIKIXGS    OF    TO-DAY 


t      I 


•!»' 


i^s 


ice  is  blown  off  the  coast  by  westerly  winds.  Most 
are  from  Newfotmdland,  some  from  Canada,  with 
occasional  Americans  buyini^  fish.  The}'  come  in 
every  v.ariet}^  of  vessel — small  and  lartiv,  .iLiood,  bad 
and  indifferent — mostly  of  tlie  schooner  type.  They 
mmiber  <about  t,ooo.  Resides  the  crew,  which  varies 
from  five  to  ten  men,  with  one  or  two  women,  most 
Newfoundland  vessels  bring  a  number  of  ]x;ople 
called  "  freighters."  These  are  landed  at  various 
harbours,  where  they  have  left  mud  huts  and  boats 
the  previous  year,  and  where  they  will  fish  all  sum- 
mer. The  fish  is  "made"  or  cured  in  Labrador,  and 
sent  in  large  vessels  to  the  Mediterranean,  Brazilian, 
or  English  markets.  Meanwhile,  the  schooner  has 
gone  further  north  in  search  of  a  "fare"  of  fish.  If 
successful,  the  lish  will  be  salted,  and  brought  home 
"wet,"  so  that  these  vessels  are  called  "green-fish 
catchers."  As  ihcy  come  south  they  call  for  their 
"  freighters,"  with  theii*  goods  and  chattels,  who  pay 
2'^  cents  per  head  per  cwt.  of  fish  caught  in  return 
lor  their  passage.  The  overei'owding  on  some  of 
these  vessels  returning  is  very  great,  and  is  made 
worse  by  the  fact  that  every  3'ear  more  vessels  go 
than  return.  Ijesides  the  cargo  of  fish,  casks  of  oil, 
nets,  boats,  and  general  goods,  perhaps  thirty,  forty, 
or  fifty  men  and  women  w'U  be  crowded  into  these 
small  vessels,  at  times  with  only  room  to  lie  down 
in  the  hold  between  the  deck  and  the  cargo.  On 
one  small  schooner  of  nineteen  tons  we  counted  fifty 
people,   thirty-four   men   and   sixteen    v;omen.      The 


< 


I 


sh 

w'w 

i;iy 

mil 

of 
idc 

oo 
oil, 

ty, 

esc 
\vn 
On 

fty 
"he 


I 


4     >''-*»JBli*"   •.'.! 


'iX''''^'"r^^-'] 


jy- 


'•■»V„i 


<r-  •  (      <,  .#  ;  ^  ,-,  v^.  t,    ^    ..,    .V.-!  •:n'^  •.--Mfm,^;,! 


"I*  I 


53 


iii  f! 


t.U 


DO   PEOPLE  LIVE   IX   LABRADOR? 


.).) 


women,  m;iny  of  whom  have  eliildrcn  with  them,  arc 
often  very  bad  sailors.  As  a  rule,  they  are  not 
allowed  on  deek  except  in  port,  and  this  voya,ij;e  is  a 
nightmare  all  sinnmer  to  numbers.  They  are  pillars 
of  pluck,  many  of  these  women,  'i'hey  can  handle 
an  oar  and  sail  a  small  boat  with  the  best,  and 
among  them  are  "Grace  Darlings"  only  wanting  an 
opportunity.  They  work  chielly  at  cleaning  fish  and 
keeping  the  huts  for  the  men,  though  some,  I  think 
very  wrongly,  form  part  of  the  crews  of  the  green 
fish  catchers.  The  Canadian  schooners  are  larger — 
carry  about  eighteen  men  and  no  women.  The 
people  consider  Labrador  very  healthy,  v.'hich  I  iit- 
tribute  to  their  comparative  immunity  there  from 
epidemic  diseases.  The  damp  mud  huts,  often  filled 
with  snow  till  the  very  day  tliey  go  in,  the  entire 
absence  of  any  sanitary  ]M"ovisions,  combined  always 
with  either  cold  draughts  or  too  little  ventilation, 
have,  without  any  doubt,  iin  ill  effect  on  the  people, 
but  more  especially  on  the  women,  who  occupy  them. 
The  fishermen  are  tall  men,  and  broad  to  match, 
born  to  the  sea,  and  are  accustomed,  from  their 
training  at  the  seal  tishery  on  the  ice,  to  be  quick 
and  active.  No  lighthouse,  no  buoy,  no  landmark 
aid  navigation  on  the  Labrador  coast.  The  charts 
are  old,  bad,  incorrect,  incomplete  and  unreliable, 
while  north  of  Hamilton  inlet,  ic/icrc  iicaiiy  all  the 
schooners  go  for  grecii  J'tsh^  there  is  practically  no 
chart  at  all,  most  of  the  surveying  having  been  done 
by  the  keels  and  bilges  of  devoted  lishing  schooners. 


nil 


i'' 


56 


VIKINGS  OF    TO-DAY 


Streams  of  icebcrp:s,  (lojitin.2:  all  the  summer  to  the 
southward  before  the  polar  current,  render  it  always 
unwise  to  stay  at  sea  at  night.  With  sudden  calms 
and  baffling  winds  from  high  perpendicular  cliffs, 
making  a  harbour  without  a  tug  is  always  hard 
enough  ;  but  here,  in  addition,  the  constant  and  dense 
fo^^s  make  it  often  impossible,  without  an}'  kind  of 
guide,  even  to  find  a  harbour  at  all ;  for  in  places 
shoals  and  ledges  run  out  twenty  miles  to  seaward. 
Yet  for  all  this  shameful  neglect  on  the  part  of  the 
Newfoundland  Government,  the  weak  defence  is 
constantly  made,  ''Not  many  lives  are  lost."  That  I 
know  to  be  due  solely  to  the  consummate  seamanship 
and  daring  perseverance  of  the  hsliermen.  Among 
many  good  vessels,  many  are  bad,  and,  worse  still, 
are  provided  with  but  bad  tackle  and  holding-gear. 
The  latter  is  an  absolute  essential,  with  the  liability 
that  exists  to  sudden  hurricanes,  and  I  believe  more 
vessels  are  lost  in  Labrador  from  this  one  cause 
than  all  others  put  together.  Moreover  many,  as  I 
ha\'e  already  pointed  out,  are  greatly  overcrowded. 
More  than  once  we  saw  vessels  drifting"  to  destruc- 
tion, and  once,  when  holding  on  ourselves  for  all  we 
were  worth,  we  had  the  pleasure  of  sjiving  a  com- 
rade by  running  him  a  coir  hawser,  and  so  holding 
him  on  the  verge  of  the  rocks  after  his  own  tackle 
had  given  out  and  the  crew  had  received  brief  notice 
to  quit  through  the  boiling  surf. 

It   must  be   remembered   that   Newfoundland,  our 
oldest  colony,  exists  solely  by  its  fishery ;    that  one 


DO   PEOPLE   LIVE   IX    LADRADOIi? 


57 


third  of  i'lS  entire  revenue  is  now  derived  from  this 
very  Labrador  fishery,  that  is  some  one-and-a-half 
million  dollars,  and  that  in  no  other  way  could  this 
harvest  be  reaped.  Moreover  almost  every  man  in 
Labrador  may  be  called  a  lisherman,  and  yet  nothinj^ 
is  done  for  all  their  returns.  Here  is  another  method 
of  interpreting-  the  value  of  the  industry.  It  is  said 
seventeen  tons  of  fish  contain  the  nutritive  value 
of  50  head  of  cattle,  or  300  sheep.  Now  the  average 
yield  for  fifty  years  from  tiie  l^vnch  and  Knglish 
Msheries  is  2,300,000  cwl.,  that  is  338,233  cattle,  or 
2,02q,4io  sheep. 

The  summer  Labrador  settlements  are  on  islands 
or  outside  headlands,  and  h.ere  both  Newfoundlanders 
and  "Li\yeres"  dwell,  th.e  latter  retiring  up  the 
ba^'s  and  inlets,  to  be  nearer  wood  and  game,  when 
the  Ibrmer  return  to  Newfoundland.  There  are 
about  a  dozen  well  recognised  central  stations  in 
Labrador,  where  agents  representing  the  A'arious 
merchants'  firms  are  stationed  to  c-ollect  the  fish 
IVom  the  fishermen  dealing  with  theii"  firm,  and  to 
ship  it  thenc .'  to  market.  These  men  ha\e  far  better 
houses  than  the  rest,  generally  abo  a  store  from 
which  the  general  wiiiits  ol"  their  men  are  supplied. 
As  a  rule,  advances  are  made  of  all  needful  appli- 
ances and  food  to  some  better  known  fishermen. 

These  men  are  known  as  "  Planters,"  and  employ 
under  them  so  man}'  men  and  women  on  "  share  " 
or  wages.  Occasionally,  also,  the  agent  has  some 
men   of   his    own,  working    for    settled    wages,  who 


5S 


Ifk'LVGS   OF    JO- DA  V 


may  be  miidc  lo  lisli  lor  cod,  to  pack'  .silnion,  to  lead 
vessels,  or  do  any  \vork  they  are  told.  When  seven 
men  fish  one  trap  or  seine  net,  the  total  catch  is 
divided  into  fourteen  shares — seven  for  the  planter 
and  seven  for  the  men,  Th[it  is  one  share  each  ;  a 
few  dollars  on  the  hurdi'd  quintals    being  pUowed 


the  skipper  of  t;u.-  ** 
his  own  net  wUh  lonv  v. 
into  twelve  shares — ;>Air 


•w  '  Or  when  a  man  lishes 
ri.en,  I  saw  the  value  divided 
the  master,  four  for  the 
trap,  and  one  each  for  the  men,  so  that  each  man 
gets  every  twelfth  lish.  When  hand-lining  begins, 
and  two  men  have  charge  of  each  boat,  every  other 
lish  belongs  to  the  men,  the  o^viier  taking  two  out 
of  four.  A  girl's  wages  are  £6  to  £7  currency 
for  the  season,  and  her  keep.  Erich  planter  has  his 
own  hut,  but  his  men  often  li\e  together.  The  huts 
are  of  logs  Avith  the  chinks  filled  with  moss  and 
covered  with  sods.  Entrance  is  b}"  a  low  doorwa}', 
and  there  is  a  small  Avindow  placed  low  down  to 
prevent  escape  of  heat.  AA'armth  and  ventilation 
cannot  co-exist  in  so  small  a  space.  A  man  a  little 
o^'er  a  fathom  long  once  visited  Sir  Donald  Smith, 
when  an  agent  on  that  coast.  To  accommodate  his 
legs  at  night  a  hole  had  to  be  cut  in  the  wall,  and 
a  box  lined  with  dogskin  lixed  up  outside.  I  saw 
one  day  a  fisherman  moving  house.  The  liouse  was 
first  Avedged  up  on  j-tiles,  ilien  a  rope  Avas  put  round 
it,  and,  Avith  the  help  of  a  few  neighbours,  it  Avas 
dragged  higher  up  the  hill.  Another  house  I  saAV 
had  been  dragged  over  the  harbour  on  the  ice  "  to 


i 


no  pi'Hn.i:  live  j.v  laurador? 


50 


■as 
nd 
■as 
iw 
to 


bu  nearer  i  lie  iishiiiL'"  ground."  An  American  stove, 
01  more  olten  an  open  fireplace  (the  smoke  goini^  out 
0*' a  huge  chimney  1i  ^e  in  an  Irishman's  cabin),  serves 
for  warmth  and  cooking.  The  stove,  anyhow,  is  a 
movable  chattel,  and  accompanies  its  master  to  his 
winter  hut  in  the  fall.  Clothes  are  so  expensive  and 
so  scanty  that  every  man  is  his  own  wardrobe,  and 
he  Avho  puts  his  clothes  in  a  drawer  must  himself 
go  naked.  Thus  a  block  of  iurniture  '"  .'^viated. 
Bunks  are  put  up  Ibr  the  men  or  a  parf'-'On  ^arded 
off,  while  the  girls  sleep  in  a  "  leaivo,  '  called  a 
"bunk-house,"  or  ]ia-. e  a  part  partitioned  .  :V,  or  hang 
an  old  curtain  in  Iront  of  their  bunk  "n  ihe  smaller 
huts. 

Some  Newfoundland  planters  and  agents  provide 
boarded  huts  for  their  "crowd,"  but  in  all  the  arrange- 
ments are  much  the  same.  The  Livycres'  fmiilies 
have  all  their  separate  huts.  Each  "  crew  "  has  a 
fish  stage,  alongside  which  the  fish  are  brought  in 
the  boats.  These  stages  are  built,  out  on  piles  driven 
into  the  mud.  Long  poles,  known  as  "  rounders,"  arc 
kiid  side  by  side  across  the  tops  of  these,  and  form 
a  kind  of  flooring.  The  whole  is  then  roofed  in 
with  poles  and  sods,  in  order  that  fish-curing  may 
proceed  at  night  by  costers'  lamps,  or  in  bad 
weather.  Up  the  middle  of  the  stage  runs  a  table 
for  splitting  the  fish  on.  The  green  fish  are  hove 
up  on  to  the  stage  with  pitchforks,  seized  by  a  woman 
who  cuts  off  the  liead — "  the  header,"  and  passed 
on   to  one   who    opens   the    throat — "  the   throater." 


60 


VIKINGS   OF    TO-DAY 


\\ 


She  passes  it  to  a  man —"  the  splitter."  lie,  with 
great  dexterity,  euts  out  the  baeiv-bone  and  flings 
the  flesii  into  a  tub  of  water  for  the  "washer."  I 
have  timed  a  man  split  thirteen  hsh  in  one  minute. 
It  tcikes  the  tyro  nearer  thirteen  minutes  to  split  one 
well.  The  oll'al  is  thrown  through  a  hole  in  the 
floor  into  the  sea  below,  where  every  variety  of 
scavenger  lish  eongi-egates.  In  Norway,  and  by 
Messrs.  Munn  of  Newfoundland,  the  skins  and  bones 
are  made  into  a  splendid  glue,  while  the  rest  of  the 
offal  is  i)reserved  lor  lish  manure.  The  washed  ti>h 
is  next  laid  in  pile  and  salted.  The  "  Salter "  is 
alho  a  ^killed  nvjehaiiie.  It  is  easy  to  undersalt  and 
easy  to  "  saltburn,"  or  uveisplt,  whereby  mueh 
\aluable  salt  is  wasted.  This  salt  eomes  all  the 
way  from  Cadiz  by  the  same  vessels  that  take  the 
fish  away.  Next  the  lish  is  spread  in  the  sun.  A 
line  day  is  waited  for,  and  all  hands  turn  to.  Many 
a  slip  exists  between  the  cup  and  the  lip,  however. 
If  the  lish  has  lain  too  long,  it  will  be  sodden,  and 
go  grey  or  dun.  If  the  sun  is  too  hot,  it  will  be  sun- 
burnt. If  rain  eomes,  and  it  is  wet  and  dry  again, 
too  often  it  will  be  injured.  It  must  I  turned  and 
returned.  At  last  it  is  gathered  up  into  circular 
"piles,"  back  uj),  and  tail  to  the  centre.  These 
piles  are  covered  over  with  birch  rinds,  and  a  few 
stones  pkiced  on  ihe  top  to  keep  tlie  whole  together 
till  it  is  time  to  ship  them  away.  They  are  weighed 
into  the  ship,  two  quintals  at  a  time,  a  "culler" 
looking  over  th'jm  as  they  pass  in   and  classifying 


DO  rrnni.r  inr  jy  i.An,,^,in,,i^> 


M 


them;   and  according  to  this   classification   they  are 
paid  lor.    The  receipt  handed  to  the  lishcrmen  runs 


thus  :- 


Received  from..., 

Large     I 

Medium  -  Merchantable  fish 
Small     J 

Madeira 

West  India 

Talqual 

Inferior 

Damp  . 

Dun     . 

Slimy  . 

Labrador 

^"d  ^1^0  casks  of gallons  of  oil. 

There  is  always  a  ^reat  race  to  oct  first  to 
market,  for  the  first  r:ir,ao  always  ft-tchcs  a  hi-her 
price.  One  hsh  planter  ships  his  own  lish  to  Hno- 
land,  and  thus  is  able  to  ,uvt  ;it  times  a  better  pri^e 
than  that  offered  in  St.  Johns.  On  the  other  hand, 
Jie  runs  the  risks  of  the  frei-lu,  insurance,  etc. 

No  railway,  public  buildin.o,  roads,  drains',  or  such 
like  thino-s  exist  in  Labrador,  and  every  man  is  a 
fisherman  first,  a  handy  man  after-boa^t  or  liouse- 
builder,  blacksmith,  cooper,  curcr,  as  the  case  may 
be.  Only  three  harbours  do  I  know  where  liquor 
is   sold:    in   one   of    these  poor    fellows   ^^■Qve 

drowned  through  its  influence  last  year.  No  jail  or 
police  exist  on  the  coast.  A  small  revenue  schooner, 
with  a  justice  of  the  peace  on  board,  is  responsible 


()2 


VIKIXGS    OF    JO-DAY 


for  maintaining;  the  law  and  prcvcntin,L!:  smn.LC^linp:. 
'Jhc  people  are,  as  ;i  rule,  law-;ibidinn' ;  but  erimes, 
cspeei;iliy  amon^-  the  half-breeds  and  i'lskinio,  ^,0 
unpunished.  In  one  settlement  ;i  lay  reader  and 
sehool  teaeher  are  established;  in  another  an  asj^ir- 
ant  to  the  Methodist  ministry,  while  settlements  up 
two  lon^'  inlets  enjoy  similar  privileges.  These  men 
are  all  doin.n"  exeellent  \vork,  as  is  a  Prebysterian 
student  from  Dalhousic  University  in  the  Straits  of 
Belle  Isle. 

Most  sehool  work  can  be  done  in  winter,  for  in 
summer  only  those  too  youni;'  to  work  can  be 
spared;  and  if  they  are  old  enough  to  journey  ;done 
to  and  from  the  sehool,  the}'  are  old  enough  to  do 
Fomethini;  at  the  fishery.  Only  ;i  small  pereenta,L;e 
of  Liv^'eres  can  read  or  write,  luery  summer  it  is 
usual  for  ;i  Roman  Catholic  priest,  ;i  Methodist 
minister,  and  ;in  Anglican  cleruymim  to  visit  as 
many  stations  as  they  can  on  the  first  _}<')o  miles  of 
coast.  They  ;ire  passed  aioni;  in  boats  from  place 
to  place  by  the  too  willini;'  people,  who,  irrespective 
of  creed,  extend  their  kindly  hospitality  to  all  alike. 
In  places  wood  buildings  hiive  been  put  up  voluntarily 
by  the  men  in  their  spare  time,  for  Sunday  services, 
conducted  usually  by  one  of  themselves.  Our  own 
gatherings,  at  times  too  large  for  the  Albert's  hold 
or  these  little  buildings,  were  held  in  lish  stores 
ashore,  cleared  for  the  purpose,  or  in  the  open 
air,  one  of  the  countless  boulders  serving  for  a 
natural  rostrum.     I  have  seen  the  same  place  serve 


no  rrnrr.F  live  i\  r..\ni\\\nnR ? 


IS  I 

as 

of 

;ice 

i\'e 

•ily 
:cs, 
\vn 
okl 

'CS 

a 
•ve 


•V 


in  tlio  morninir  fnt-  Cluii-rh  of  lunula nJ,  in  the  after- 
noon foi*  WVslcvan,  in  tlu'  evenini;'  for  Salvation 
Army,  ;inJ  pretty  mueii  tlie  same  eonufei;ation  at- 
teni-linL;-  eaeii.  I  have  known  a  Melliodist  meetintj; 
house  on  Sunday  reeonseeratecl  for  Mass  on  Monday. 
Tliis  absenee  of  eonventionality,  this  sociahsm  on  a 
basis  of  Iv'iiully  generosity,  is  most  eon.nenial  to  one 
(rom  the  OM.1  world. 

i"re.>h  me;it  and  veiielables  are  alike  h;ird  to  pro- 
cure. Xo  eow  or  horse  exists,  'i'he  domestic  animal 
world  is  represented  only  by  the  inevitable  doti^ ;  the 
ve.i^etable  by  the  stringy  cabba,i;e  or  struii'.u,lin,n'  tur- 
nip, whose  leaves  alone  attain  to  economic  v.alue. 
To  pi-event  scurxy  in  winter,  when  frish  li^h  is  not 
attainable,  salt  meat  must  be  avoided,  even  if  they 
can  afford  to  buy  it.  'ihe  following,  recipe  is  in- 
vented with  that  end:  "  I  )i-y  the  cod  in  the  sun  till 
it  is  so  hard  none  can  \\o  bad.  In  winter  powder 
this,  rub  it  up  with  fresh  seal  oil,  and  add  cnin- 
berries  if  you  have  any."  I'his  dainty  is  known  as 
'Vi'i]rsey."'  These  pi'ople  neither  need  nor  expect 
luxuries;  sui^ai'  and  milk  are  very  rarely  used- 
tinned  milk  beini;'  too  expensive,  molasses  bein^' 
cheaper  than  suuar,  and  ;dso  mari^Jirine  than  butter. 
White  1  debits,  white  grouse  and  sea-birds  help  to 
ckc  out  the  winter's  diet. 

Jkit  to  be  ;iccurate,  in  two  hiirbours  I  saw  a  r'-i'- 
brouL>ht  b}'  the  Newfoundlanders.  ^\'hen  th^y  ar- 
rived the  dogs  were  banished  to  a  desert  islaiul  near. 
In  one  harbour  we  listened  to  much  wailing".     Two 


ch 


VJK/NGS  OF   TO-DAY 


. ,( 


! 


pi,2:s  had  Ix'cn  isolated  on  an  island  near,  the  fisher- 
men enjoying  daily  the  bliss  of  anticipation.  But 
alas !  here  the  do.^s  proven  equal  to  the  occasion. 
An  on-shore  Avind  had  hrouLiht  them  the  joyful  news, 
and  that  very  morning  the  pigs  tlisnppeared,  only 
a  few  blood-stained  bristles  remaining  to  tell  the 
story  of  the  crime.  In  one  harbour  ;i  planter  had 
brought  a  sheep,  but  its  isolation  had  so  developed 
its  affection  for  its  owner  that  it  followed  him  every- 
where, and  he  could  not  make  up  his  mind  to  kill 
it.  Goats  fare  a.  little  better:  they  have  horns. 
Yei  in  one  place  three  nights  in  succession  a  goat 
had  been  missed.  A  team  of  runaway  dogs  was 
roaming  near,  but  only  approached  the  houses  under 
cover  of  night.  All  these  animals  ;ire,  however,  the 
perquisites  of  affluence,  and  belong  .almost  entirely 
to  the  planters  fro  n  Newfoundland.  vSome  few- 
bring  fowls,  which  eke  out  a  perilous  existtmce  on 
suffrance  of  the  ilogs.  At  the  Hudson  B.ay  Company's 
station  of  I'Jigolette,  Mr.  Wilson,  the  ciiief  f.iclor,  told 
me  that  two  of  his  tlogs  got  into  his  well  enclosed 
yard,  and  in  four  minutes  killed  eight  hens  and  tore 
four  goats  to  pieces.  Among  all  these  people  no 
resident  doctor  exists,  nor  is  skilled  aid  of  any  kind 
to  be  obtained  in  case  of  need;  for  the  few  minutes 
in  the  summer  th.at  the  mail  steamcM*  stays  in  any 
harbour,  and  the  irregular  times  of  her  calls,  gives 
the  doctor  on  board  no  opportunuy  to  rend^-  effective 
aid.  When  sickness  falls  on  the  pfcple  rio  one  knows 
what  it  IS,  or  how  to  treat   it.     Not  knowing  they 


I 


DO   PEOPLE    LIVE    IX    LABRADORf 


m 


are  ill,  nun  work  on  till  a  irilliiiL!,  ailiiKMU  becomes 
a  matter  ol'  lilc  and  death.  A  sliuht  accident  witli 
no  "  rn>t  aid  "  at  hand,  permanently  crij^ples  a  limb 
or  destroys  a  \'aluablc  function,  such  as  slight. 
I'.lcediiiL;-  unclK'ck'ed  iVom  a  simple  wound  deprives 
a  dependant  family  of  the  fathei-  ani.1  breadwinner. 
Many  are  the  ]iitcous  storio  1  ha\c  k'arni  of  sUt.  h 
cases  siiK'c  lii^t,  in  iSw-',  the  Clo.sjvl  Hospital-ship 
Albcil  was  sent  out  by  warm  hearts  in  Old  Hnuland 
to  their  brother.^  and  sister.^  in  this  "  rei;ion  be- 
yond." 

After  all  this  desei'iption  of  Labrador,  do  you  ask, 
as  I  do,  why  do  people  stay  here,  when  the  fair  farm 
lands  of  Canada  are  offereil  free  to  ;dl?  There  is 
a  stoi'y  that  a  solitary  old  wonrin  in  the  wilds  ot" 
North  America  was  one  day  visited  by  a  uentlemau 
Irom  that  "hub  of  the  universe,"  lio^toa  rit\.  She 
asked  him,  "Where  do  yuu  li\'e?"  "Oil,  hundreds 
of  miles  away— in  I'oston."  "  I  jcnv  do  you  mmaj^e 
to  live  so  far  away?"  w.is  the  reply.  lo  be,L;'iii 
with,  e\ei-y  one  has  a  liuLieriuij,  belief  in  his  "  ain 
ccjuntree."  'ihe  wild  life  to  which  these  people  are 
born  has  a  certain  charm  to  other.,  besides  them- 
.sehes.  Saiior>  they  are  born  and  bred.  Wduit  else 
can  tiiey  do?  Some  have  been  taken  by  the  Canadian 
Co\ernmenL  to  the  southern  side  of  the  (udf  of  St. 
I-awrence — the  .\rcady  of  Longfellow  — and  yet  lia\'e 
found  eventually  tlieir  way  back.  The  fact  remains 
—here  is  an  increasing-  English-speaking  colony. 


f  V 


CHAPTER    VII 

/US 7'  no IV  THE  FISH  ARE  CAUGHT 

OD  (Giidus I  =  goad  or  rod 
lish — called  ill  Norway 
."■tick  or  stock  lish,  or  in 
Spanish  "  baccalhao,"  in 
Italian  "mazza,"  a  club 
or  rod  ^all  of  which 
synonyms  imply  that 
a  rod  or  stick  is  used 
in  preserving-  the  fish. 
In  Norway  two  are 
tied  tail  to  tail,  and 
then  slung  over  a  stick, 
being-  then  exposed  to 
sun  and  air  so  many 
days — prescribed  by  law. 
The  Eskimo  largel}'  hang 
them  from  a  rod  by  the  gills 
after  splitting  and  salting 
them,  but  Newfoundlanders  spread  them  out  on  poles, 
called  "  flakes,"  or  on  the  natural  rocks,  called 
"  bournes."  But  "  you  must  tirst  catch  your  hare, 
then  cook  him,"  and  seasons  suitable  bemg  very  brief 

66 


Doat  leturnlnj^  from  the  Tiap 
full  of  Fiih. 


■^ 


I 


.  i 


k 


^m 


jrST   HOW    THE   FISH    ARE   CAUGHT 


67 


ed 


in  Ihc.^c  Arctic  climates,  llie  most  rapid  methods 
must  be  adopted ;  and  in  cod-catching  Newfoundland 
has  eclipsed  all  her  rivals. 

In  spring-,  nets  only  arc  used,  for  the  fish,  are  in 
shoals,  feeding-  on  the  myriads  of  caplin,  a  fish  the 
size  of  a  sardine,  which  are  inshore  then  to  spawn. 
The  most  successful  net  is  the  cod-trap.  I^ractically 
it  is  a  submerged  parlour  of  net  without  a  roof,  but 
with  a  large  door,  into  which  the  cod  are  invited  to 
widk  by  a  long  net  leading  to  the  nearest  headland 
of  rock,  and  ending  at  the  centre  of  the  door.  It  is 
all  kept  in  position  by  he;iv\'  anchors.  The  distance 
from  the  rock  is  from  a  hundred  to  a  hundred  and 
lifty  yards.  Cod  are  greg;irious  lish,  and,  like  sheep, 
follow  a  lea'ler.  When,  therefore,  one  comes  up 
against  the  net  as  he  swims  near  the  rocks,  he  turns 
out  into  deeper  water  to  circumvent  it,  and  so  leads 
his  confiding  following  directl}'  into  the  net.  Here, 
being  a  platonic  lish,  he  remains,  indolently  browsing 
on  the  infusoria  and  ocean  slime  which  collect  about 
the  twiny  walls  of  his  prison.  Suddenly  a  boat  ap- 
pears overhead,  and  a  long  telescope,  with  a  plain 
glass  bottom — the  fish  glass — is  pushed  down  into  the 
room,  through  which  the  trap-master  is  peering  to  see 
how  many  linny  prisoners  there  are.  Now  the  door 
is  pulled  up,  and  now  the  lloor  is  rising — rising — 
rising,  being  passed  along  under  the  boat,  until  all  the 
f';ightened  captives  are  huddled  together  in  one  seeth- 
ing mass  near  the  surface.  Now  a  dipper  is  put  in, 
and  the  jumping,  struggling  lish  arc  heaved  into  the 


68 


VIKIXGS   OF    TO-DAY 


boat.  Soon  tlie  boat  is  lull  to  the  gunwale,  and  still 
tliLTc  arc  morL'  p-  isoncrs.  Lar^L'  b.aus  of  net  are 
produced  and  lilled  with  the  rest  of  the  lish.  These, 
after  beinji,"  bnoyed,  ;ire  thrown  overboard  to  wait  till 
they  are   "  wanted." 

I  have  seen  lifty  to  sixty  lumdredweii^ht  of  lish 
taken  in  the  same  trap  time  alter  time.  Sometimes 
more  ai'e  caught  than  the  eurers  can  keep  paee  with. 
Thei;  the  fortunate  trap-master  allows  his  neighbours 
to  "haul  the  trap,"  reeeivin,^-  in  return  a  small  pr^ 
]X)rtion  of  cured  lish.  Now  certain  positions  are 
thouuht  better  than  others  for  settini;  these  traps, 
with  the  res'dt  that  there  is  every  sprin.i;"  a  race  from 
Newfoundland  to  uet  them,  like  our  members  of  par- 
liament race  for  se;its.  The  l:i\v  does  not  allow  traps 
to  be  set  till  a  certain  day,  I'nd  the  leading,"  net  must 
be  ]Hit  out  to  secure  the  berth — a  top  hat  on  a  bench 
is  not  sufficient— and  unless  within  four  days  the 
whole  U\\\)  is  set,  the  claim  becomes  void  Thus, 
while  the  ice  was  still  on  the  shores  of  Labrador,  a 
steamer  was  sent  ahead  with  numbers  of  men,  each 
armed  with  "a  I  rap  leader,"  to  i^et  ahead  of  the  sail- 
injLi,  schooners  whii  h  were  working"  their  perilous  way 
alon.u  inside  the  Hoc  ice.  in  one  case,  iifter  the  best 
berths  1i;kI  thus  been  taken,  the  nets  to  comi")lete  the 
traps  did  not  turn  up  till  after  the  prescribed  four 
days.  Meanwhile  another  crew  had  pulled  up  their 
nets  and  pounced  on  the  coveted  prizes.  Again, 
boine  men  were  landed  with  "leaders"  on  one  station 
[diU  vii  nig'it.     "No  '  ail  in  sight.     We'll  secure  our 


.Ti 


f 


w 

« 


69 


i 


I9li' 


1 1' 


ii: 


!  I 


m 


JUST   now    THE   FISH   ARE  CAUGHT 


71 


berths  lo-moiTo\v  morninu."  Durin,^  llio  ni.irht,  how- 
ever, a  southerly  wind  broimlit  in  two  sehooners,  and 
during  the  hotirs  of  darkness  these  secured  the  prize 
while  tlie  others  slept. 

The  "  lod-seine  "  ranks  second  in  importance 
amon.u:  nets  in  Labrador.  It  is  of  prodigious  size, 
up  to  60  feet  ^}(:L'y>,  requiring'  seven  men  to  work 
it,  and  is  used  either  to  bar  an  inkt,  or  to  shoot 
round  a  shoal  ul"  cod  in  deep  water.  The  seine 
master  stands,  lish-i;iass  in  liand,  hii;ii  on  tb.e  bow 
of  the  seine  skiff,  as  his  stalwart  crew,  with  ei.uht 
huLie  pine  oars,  drive  the  boat  alonii',  perhaps  hour 
after  hour.  The  vast  net  is  piled  up  on  the  stern, 
while  one  man  stands  on  the  tb  a,  'is,  steerir.c;  with 
his  oar  like  an  Italian  t^ondolie:'.  Suddenly  "Easy 
all !  "  is  cried  ;  "  Hold  her  up  !  "  and  the  seine  master 
peers  down  into  the  water  with  his  <;lass.  A  school 
of  fish  is  on  the  bottom.  ^Swiftly  the  net  anchor  is 
dropped,  and  the  net  is  p.aid  out  astern  as  the  will- 
ini:;  backs  bend  to  the  oars  and  force  the  skiff  round 
and  home  to  the  starting-  place,  marked  Iw  a  ftaily- 
painted  buoy.  'Jdius  the  whole  school  are  enclosed. 
Now  the  wei.uhted  foot  rope  is  "  i^athered  "  to,L>ether, 
the  net  has  become  one  vast  bai;-,  Jind  the  prisoners 
are  dealt  with  as  before,  i.e.  dipped  out  and  bagged 
o:f. 

The  i;ill  net  is  rarely  used  in  Labrador  now.  In 
Norway  it  is  still  a  faxouritc  method.  Twenty  to 
twenty-four  nets,  eighty  feet  long  and  about  fiftv'  feet 
deep,  are  "  shot  "  in  water  of  froni  twenty  to  sixty 


I  - 


VI  h'TXCS   OF    TO- DA  Y 


liillioms,  or  own  in  niin  ly  lathoms,  as  man\'  as 
ihrcc  lo  four  lhousan^l  cod  luiim  meshed  at  one 
tiinc.  Under  certain  tircunistan^cs  nets  arc  no  use, 
e.g.,  on  the  ureal  banks,  or  late  in  tlic  season  in 
Labrador.  Lines  must  then  W  u^ed,  and  it  is  advis- 
able to  use  bait  on  the  hook.  To  us  accustomed  to 
row  out  and  catch  a  lew  codling  with  ;i  mussel,  the 
sul')ject    of    "baits"    has   apparenily    little    interest. 


l)Ut  out  liere  it  has  become  a  subjeci  ot  international 
importance,  'i'he  fact  is,  musst'ls  are  too  ^-oft,  comint^ 
off  the  hook  too  readily,  and  also  cod  are  a  fastidi- 
ous lish,  and  will  only  contk'scend  to  swallow  that 
"  poisson  "  which  is  in  season.  True,  it  is  not  essen- 
tial to  bait  the  hooks  at  all.  Instead  you  may  take 
^wo  lari-e  hooks,  lix  them  back  to  back  with  a  piece 
of  lead,  which  will  act  at  once  as  bait  and  sinker. 
Lower  this  to  the  bottom,  and  then  keep  jerkin/j,'  it 
up  and  down.  Often  3'ou  will  strike  hsh  as  last  as 
you  can  ',\  ?rk,  usinu:  one  line  in  each  hand.  This 
method,  called  "  jig.^ing',"  eventually  injures  the 
tishery,  probably  because  numbers  of  lish  escape 
.after  bein,<»-  wounded,  and  others  follow  them,  possibly 
to  devour  them,  more  than  live  bein.ii,-  injured  for  one 
cauiiht.  The  lishermen  sa\'  the  injured  warn  their 
friends,  but  a  fish's  appreci.ation  of  pain  is  somewhat 
doubtful. 

Sailors  have  told  me  of  sharks  v,hich,  afccr  being 
caught  and  having  had  their  livers  cut  out,  will  con- 
tinue to  pursue  and  swallow  the  siime  piece  of  p^ork 
as  long  as  sufficient  vitality  remains  in  them  to  keep 


JUST  now   Tiir  I'lsii  are  cacgiiv 


i:\ 


p;icc  with  till'  vcssi-1  ;  nay,  even  that,  after  bein,t»-  cut 
in  hall,  tlie  "bow  (.\n<A^'  will  still  wri,i;>;le  after  the 
bait,  when  the  ship  is  beealmed  in  the  doldrums. 
J'.ut    jai  k  is  prejudieed  against  vli;iri<s. 

li.iil  i^  neceshary,  however,  in  deep  water,  a  fact 
that  led  tlic  Newfoundland  (iovernnient  to  pa^s  the 
famous  "liait  Act,"  renderinii  it  illegal  to  supply  tiie 
French  with  bait  in  the  hope  of  destroyin;;-  thc-ir 
bankinp,'  industr\'.  Alas!  l;tws  are  easier  to  make 
than  enforce,  and  the  worst  sufferers  were  those  who 
formei'h'  made  out  of  this  supply  an  honest  liveli- 
hood. 

Octopus  and  S^piid  is  fudic  pnurrps  amonjL;'  baits 
lor  I'od.  Vet  the  cod  must  be  circumspect  in  indulg- 
ini;-  this  weakness,  and  confine  his  attention  to  those 
of  tender  years,  for  these  cephalopods  attain  to  enor- 
mous size  at  limes  in  these  waters.  Thus  the  l>Jev. 
Dr.  Harvey  ib\R.S.,  Canada,  of  St.  Johns,  narrates 
how,  while  recently  two  Newfoundlanders  were  out 
tishinc!,-  in  their  little  rowini;'  boat,  two  enormous  arms 
rose  out  of  the  water,  seized  the  boat,  and  endea- 
voured to  draLi,'  it  below^  the  surface.  Fortunately 
a  chopper  lay  at  hand  in  the  boat,  and  the  ii,reat 
beast,  after  losin,q-  two  of  his  arms,  sank  amidst 
volumes  of  black  ink.  The  parts  of  arms  cut  off 
were  nineteen  feet  lonp:,  and  are  now  preserved  in 
St.  Johns  Museum.  Shortly  after  another  \vas 
secured  by  Dr.  Harvey,  whicli  had  been  found  float- 
ini;-,  dead.  Its  p^rasp  embraced  forty  feet.  A^ain, 
in  1772  Cartwright  caught  one  seven  feet  long  with- 


74 


VIk'IXGS   OF    TO-DAY 


1 

■•1 

1 

i    i 

1 

1 

\                i 

Ti  "*iiw 

■  1  f 

■  F 

i 

'■ '  '    .t 

^ 

Jl 

Liik. 

out  licad  ny  tentacles.  The  beaks  of  these  fisli  re- 
semble a  parrot's,  and  in  larL;e  specimens  arc  f;ir 
more  solid  than  human   teeth. 

Catching;-  octopus  is  excitintx  work.  A  number  of 
row-boats  are  anchored  close  together  outside  some 
point  of  land,  and  the  fishermen  are  lazily  ji['iz:in,u' 
up  and  down  a  little  briiL;ht  red  leaden  weinht,  brist- 
linj;'    with    wire    spikes.      Suddenly   a    stir — all   are 


•kii 


ith 


worU'ini;"  witn  mitj;ht  and  main.  A  company  ot 
squids  are  passiujH"  and  llyinu,-  on  the  Ji,u',L;ers  like 
vampires;  the  red  wei.i-hts  are  bein^-  jurabbed  voia- 
ciously.  Beware  as  you  get  him  on  board.  .Suddenly 
he  relaxes  his  grasp,  and  shoots  out  a  jet  of  ink, 
which  smarts  considerably  in  one's  eyes,  and  leaves 
weird  patterns  on  white  linen.  They  swim  back- 
wards and  at  great  pace  after  their  prey.  Salted 
down,  these  squid  fetch  lifteen  to  fifty  cents  per 
hundred.  "liankers"  pay  ten  to  twenty  cents  per 
hundred, 

Caplin  I  have  mentioned.  Tluy  are  taken  in  fme 
meshed  seine  nets  or  in  cast  nets  thrown  from  the 
shoulder  like  the  "retiarius  "  of  old  threw  liis. 

Herrings  form  a  very  excellent  bait.  They  are 
caught  in  gill  nets  anchored  out  in  like'y  spots,  and 
these  are  emptied  every  day.  Our  English  drift 
nets  are  rendered  impossible  by  the  icebergs  and 
sudden  storms,  with  no  harbour  lights  in  case  of 
emergency  at  night,  and  herring  see  the  net  in  day- 
time. Herrings  have  been  kept  frozen,  and  then 
found   to   serve  as  excellent   bait.      A   new  way  to 


'^  arc 

and 

drift 

and 

sc  of 
Jay- 
then 
V  to 


JUST    IIUW    Tin:    FISH    Ah'E   CAUCIll 


/.) 


freeze  these  is  to  lialf  fill  a  barrel  wiili  hioKun  iee, 
salt  and  herrin.Lis,  and  then  roll  it  well  over  and 
over.  Thus  a  constant  supply  of  b.iit  ai  known 
places  mi.uht  be  maintained  in  fixed  iee  houses;  a 
much  needed  arrangement,  for  mueh  time  and  money 
is  lost  by  the  uncertain  supply  of  bail.  Launee  or 
sand  eels  have  often  to  be  used,  but  can  only  be 
taken  on  sandy  bottoms,  perhaps  miles  from  a  fish- 
ing station.  Then  several  crews  club  together,  and 
lend  men  in  turns  to  row  the  bait  skiff  as  m.iny  as 
twentj'-four  miles,  sharint>-  up  the  bait  when  it 
arrives.  Occasionallv  they  pa}'  shares  for  a  small 
launch  to  keep  up  a  regular  siippl}-.  While  fish,  ;i 
small  fish  taken  in  surface  seines,  are  occasionally 
used,  and  also  sometimes  whelks. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT  3) 


M 


A 


{./ 


^ 


ifff 


A 


f/. 


^&c? 


1.0 


III  I.I 


liiM23.    M2.5 

|5o   ■^"     H^H 

1^  Ui2    12.2 

-I 


*>^     His 

I   li£    112.0 


1^^ 


11-25  i  1.4 


^ 


/] 


/ 


'/ 


/^ 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


i] 


Cariwright  StafT. 


CHAPTER    VIII 


T//E    TRUCK  SYSTEM 


COD  alone  is  fish  in  Labr.'ulor  diction.  Cod  is  ihc 
coin  of  the  realm.  Money  is  scarcely  known,  and 
no  other  medium  of  exchange  is  used  by  the  people, 
whose  rnisou  d\'hr  almost  is  cod.  All  live  on  coods 
advanced  on  credit,  to  be  paid  for  by  their  cntch  of 
cod.  This  truck  system,  is  the  next  of  kin  to  the 
old  feudal  system,  and  has  long  been  extinct  in 
most  civilized  countries.  It  seems  the  early  treat- 
ment of  Newfoundland  by  England  is  partly  re- 
sponsible for  the  rise  of  this  baneful  system,  which 
it  is  now  difficult  to  remove.  The  struggling  fisher- 
man knows  it  is  a  state  of  bondage,  but  cannot  get 
out  of  it ;  the  merchant  knows  its  disadvantages  out- 
weigh its  profits  ;    while  the   colony  must  recognise 

■6 


THE    TiiUCK   SYSTEM 


11 


that  il  is  alone  the  cause  ol"  so  many  of  its  3'ounser 
iinJ  more  energetic  men  leavinj;  the  country  as  soon 
as  they  can  see  their  way  to  do  so — for  no  race 
loves  its  country  with  more  patriotic  affection  than 
do  Newfoundlanders. 

Up  to  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century  no  one  was 
allowed  to  remain  in  Newfoundland  after  the  tishin.u,- 
season,  each  captain  of  a  hshini;'  vessel  bein.i;  held  re- 
sponsible, under  heavy  penalty,  to  brin.^-  back  all  his 
crew  to  England  ;  while  if  any  one  did  desert  and 
remain  behind  to  be  near  the  lishini*-  grounds,  and 
to  reap  the  harvest  of  the  sea  for  his  own  benefit, 
his  stai;e,  and  even  house  and  i^oods,  mi.nht  be  ap- 
propriated by  the  first  (ishinu;  captain  out  next  j'car. 
This  made  it  only  possible  for  fishermen  to  «;o  out 
when  some  merchant  capitalist  would  linance  the 
voyage,  who,  in  return,  repaid  himself  out  of  the 
fish  caui;ht. 

Now  many  vessels  were  sent  out,  and  though  the 
catch  of  fish  by  any  individual  vessel  was  uncer- 
tain— for  fish  set  into  one  place  one  year  and  an- 
other the  next — the  whole  catch  would  ,u:enerally 
repay  the  merchant  amply.  But  as  in  some  cases 
all  vessels  of  one  merchant  might  do  badly,  a  large 
price  was  charged  on  goods  advanced  as  a  further 
security  for  the  merchant,  that  in  any  case  he 
might  be  quite  sure  to  recoup  himself  for  his  out- 
lay. And  lastly,  though  there  might  be  no  immedi- 
ate return  in  fish  or  cash,  yet  the  fishermen  at 
once   began    to  accumulate   a    large    nominal   debt ; 


I    • 


7S 


VIKIXGS   OF    TODAY 


i 


and  though  possibly,  and  even  probably,  they  would 
never  be  able  to  liquidate  this,  yet  the  fact  of  their 
being  indebted  to  any  particular  merchant  insured 
their  fishing  for  him  year  after  year.  Thus,  per- 
haps, the  best  issue  for  the  merchant  at  settling 
time  seemed  in  every  case  to  be  a  debt  b\'  each 
man,  but   not   large  enough    to  make  the  fisherman 


de 


ind 


vsful 


)  fish  badly.  Thus  the  succej 
fisherman  had  to  pay  for  his  unsuccessful  brother's 
deficits.  The  fishermen  soon  found  this  out,  and 
were  not  only  soured  against  their  suppliers,  but  lost 
the  incentive  to  make  any  effort  to  discharge  their 
whole  debts.  The  merchant  now  found  it  diflicult 
to  make  ends  meet  through  bad  debts,  and  was  led 
to  buy  in  the  fish  himself,  insisting  on  the  fisher- 
men not  paying  in  cash,  but  fish.  Each  year  the 
commercial  body  fixed  its  own  price  for  fish,  pun- 
ished those  of  their  men  who  sold  the  fish  for  cash 
if  they  could  do  so,  and  themselves  resold  the  fish 
in  foreign  markets,  gaining  a  second  profit  when 
possible.  Thus  large  nominal  debts  arose,  which  in 
hundreds  of  cases  the  men  could  never  hope  to 
liquidate.  The  spirit  of  pauperism  was  directly 
fostered,  the  men  becoming  absolutely  dependent  on 
the  charity  of  their  merchants,  and  in  many  cases 
from  year  to  year  never  knowing  how  much  they 
really  owed. 

This  system  persists  to-day,  as  an  evil  heirloom, 
dragging  down  both  merchant  and  fisherman.  To- 
morrow's labour  is  ever  mortgaged  ahead  for  food 


THE    lliL'CK   SYSTEM 


79 


'  would 
of  their 
insured 
js,  per- 
scttlinj^ 
)\'  each 
herman 
:cessful 
['Other's 
nt,  and 
)ut  lost 
;e  their 
Jifficult 
vas  led 

fisher- 
ar  the 
1,  pun- 
ir  cash 
he  fish 

when 
lich  in 
Dpe  to 
irectly 
2nt  on 

cases 
1  they 

rloom, 
To- 

food 


to-day.  At  last  a  time  comes  when  no  longer  any 
hope  of  return  from  certain  men  can  be  expected. 
The  advances  are  suddenly  cut  olf,  and  these  men, 
deprived  ot  their  usual  source  of  supply,  fall  back  on 
government  relief,  till  to-day  over  one-third  and 
nearly  half  of  the  whole  revenue  of  the  country  is 
spent  in  pauper  relief.  The  recipients  are  frequently 
able-bodied  men,  and  yet  they  have  no  shame  in  ac- 
cepting' it,  looking  on  the  government  as  an  inde- 
nendent  source  of  wealth,  and  calling  their  annual 
six  to  twenty-four  dollars  "a  government  appoint- 
ment." 

Thus  the  system  has  played  into  the  hands  of 
idleness  and  dishonesty  also  ;  for  though  all  a 
man's  catch  is  nominally  his  merchant's,  he  is 
tempted  to  keep  some  part  back  and  sell  it  else- 
where, that  he  may  have  some  ready  money  to 
spend  when  he  returns.  Thus  one  man  who  has 
already  more  lish  than  would  pay  his  own  debt, 
will  accept  fish  from  another  heavily  in  debt,  and 
turn  it  in  to  his  merchant  as  his  own,  handing 
over  afterwards  the  money  or  goods  he  obtained  in 
return  to  his  friend,  and  perhaps  deducting  a  shil- 
ling a  quintal  for  the  risk  involved.  A  lar  more 
common  way  is  to  take  and  sell  your  fish  right 
away  to  another  firm.  All  are  generally  glad  to  get 
fish  anyhow ;  for  not  only  is  it  a  loss  to  send  away 
a  ship  without  a  full  freight,  but  also  there  is  a 
great  race  to  get  vessels  away  first  each  year,  as 
the  first  in  the   market    will   realize  a    higher  price 


) 


n 


80  VIKIXCS   OF   TODAY 

for  their  cargo  throughout.  To  prevent  this  the 
viirious  firms  agreed  at  one  time  not  to  buy  lish 
from  another  merchant's  planters.  Jiut  this  fell 
through,  and  now  only  a  careful  watch  is  kept  on 
how  much  lish  each  man  has  as  the  season  pro- 
gresses, and  the  amount  compared  with  what  he  de- 
livers to  his  merchant.  Any  man  caught  alienating 
much  fish  would  not  receive  any  advance  in  future, 
though  most  lirms  are  anxious  to  get  all  the  men 
they  can.  • 

The  advances  are  made  in  May  or  earl}'  June. 
When  the  fish  has  been  put  on  board  the  vessels  for 
market  in  October,  notes  of  credit  are  sent  to  the 
merchants  thus: — 

Received  from ,    ......  q'ts,    ...    cp-s.    ...    lbs.    of 

Labrador  fish. 

To  Messrs ,    qlts.    ...    qrs.    ...    lbs.    of 

Merchantable  fish. 
Per  Agent 

Then,  as  soon  as  the  total  catch  can  be  roughl}' 
estimated,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  meet  in  St. 
Johns  and  decide  what  price  they  will  give  for  fish. 
The  credit  notes  are  at  once  cashable  at  that  price, 
cargoes  being  all  insured.  Each  lirm  then  credits 
its  planters  and  men  with  their  catch  at  that  price, 
and  a  balance  is  struck  between  the  total  and  the 
amount  of  each  one's  advance  in  Ma}'.  If  a  surplus 
remains,  it  goes  to  provide  the  fisherman  with  his 
winter's  diet.  Now  a  good  catch  for  a  fisherman  is 
100  quintals  of  dry  fish,  or  300  quintals  of  green.     On 


SEf::. 


^M 


"^ 


Tlir    Tfcrch'   SYSTf-M 


8 1 


this   the 
buy  lish 
this    fell 
kept  on 
son   pro- 
fit he  dc- 
licnalin^" 
in  future*, 
the  men 

i}'  June. 
jssels  for 
nt  to  the 


...  lbs.  of 
jiador  fisli. 
...  lbs.  of 
[liable  fish. 


rough]}' 
:  in  St. 
for  fish. 
It  price, 
1  credits 
at  price, 
and  the 
surplus 
,vith  his 
rman  is 
en.     On 


an  average  mo  f!>.h  go  to  ihr  quiiilal,  that  i>,  each 
man  must  catili  :;>.<><>()  fish.  l^acli  quintal  is  worth 
in  St.  Johns  from  2\  to  3  dollars,  so  that  27.')  dollars 
is  a  good  season,  less  .^o  dollars  for  sail  J.},-)  dollars, 
or  about  £50.  It  must  be  remembered  many  will 
only  average  20  quintals  some  years,  or  .-)•>  dollars, 
not  £7)0.  'I'he  average  catch  per  head  for  "  bank  " 
li>hermen  last  year  was  47^  c|uintals.  How  often  a 
man  will  be  dependent,  therefore,  on  charity  iov  a 
>upply  of  food  for  himself  and  his  family  during  the 
winter  becomes  apparent. 

Uften  the  winter's  diet  that  can  be  laid  in  is 
all  too  small  for  the  needs  of  the  family;  and  be- 
fore the  breaking  up  of  the  ice  once  more  allows 
cod-fishing  to  commence,  and  the  planters  to  return 
from  Newfoundland,  the  poor  Livyeres  are  rcLJuced 
to  living  on  "the  Jandwash."  "A  short  feast  ami 
a  long  famine  "  is  a  coast  epigram. 

Clothing  is  perhaps  most  difficult  to  find  money 
for,  and  is  apt  to  become  so  scanty  that  the  settler, 
for  lack  of  proper  protection  from  the  wea'hei\ 
cannot  prosecute  his  fishing  or  hunting,  especially 
where  the  temperature  falls  to  ;,o'^,  or  e\en  more, 
below  zero.  I  met  one  poor  fellow  who  ycar.>  bet  ore 
had  missed  his  way  home  at  night  and  had  had  to 
sleep  out  in  the  open,  lie  had  lost  both  leet  from 
frost-bite.  One  can  realize  the  need  for  woollen 
CxOthing.  When  near  Winnipeg,  in  North  Manitoba, 
I  saw  a  young  Englishman,  who  had  been  caught 
out  in  a  blizzard,  and  had  lost  both  hands  and  both 

G 


1 1  I 


82 


V/h'IXGS  OF    To- 1) AY 


I    I 


ft'C't  at  the  wrists  nnd  ankles  from  iVost-bitc.  But 
a  still  more  vicious  circle  is  established  when,  to 
procure  food    lor    this  winter,  a   settler   has   to  part 


with  his   means   .>r   "killinii-  a  v 


0 


next   sum- 


mer.    The  followini;-  is  a  case  in  ooint  as  related  to 
me  on  the  spot : — 

Some  three  years  a^o,  at  \X\\*^  r>i.i;ht,  a  ^h^ 
Olliver,  with  his  wife  and  live  children,  had  fallen 
into  ,u:reat  poverty.  At  last  in  spring,  when  all 
his  food  was  exhausted,  he  set  out,  taking  his 
last  possessions,  an  old  Jack  plane  and  a  trout 
net,  with  him.  lI[ivin;L;'  no  doi^s,  he  had  to  travel 
afoot  over  the  i'^e  and  snow.  At  last  he  came  to 
the  house  of  the  best-off  settler  about,  Mr.  Tosten 
Anderson,  a  Norwegian,  and  a  splendid  fellow.  When 
asked  for  food,  Mr.  Anderson,  showing  all  the  flour 
he  had,  said,  "To  part  with  any  more  than  I  have 
done,  means  we  must  all  starve  together."  This  was 
thirty  to  forty  miles  from  his  own  home.  He  then 
went  on  twelve  miles  to  a  Mr.  James  Thomas, 
whose  reply  was  just  the  same.  Two  days  later  he 
reached  Richard  Blomlield's  house  on  his  way  back. 
Here  he  met  the  same  reply  again.  No  more  was 
heard  till  three  days  later,  when  Blomlield  was  sum- 
moned to  the  Ollivers'  aouse.  On  the  middle  of  the 
floor,  his  coat  off  and  his  gun  by  his  side,  lay  Mr. 
Olliver,  shot  through  the  head.  In  a  heap  in  one 
corner  lay  the  three  youngest  children,  scarcely  dead 
from  blows  from  an  axe  lying  near  them.  Appar- 
ently determined  to  spare  those  who   might  provide 


THE    TRUCK   SYSTF}f 


bite.  But 
1  when,  to 
lis  to  pan 
iiL'xt  sum- 
related  to 

It,    a    Mr. 
had  fallen 
when   all 
aking    his 
:1  a    trout 
to  travel 
,'   eamj  to 
Ir.  Tosten 
w.   When 
the  flour 
in  I  have 
This  was 
He  then 
Thomas, 
later  he 
ay  back, 
nore  was 
vas  sum- 
le  of  the 
Lay  Mr. 
in  one 
ely  dead 
Appar- 
providc 


for  themselves,  he  had  sent  out  first  his  wife  and 
eldest  daughter  to  search  for  food,  and  his  eldest  boy 
to  search  for  birds.  Mr.  Blomliekl  told  me  he  sup- 
posed thai  the  cries  of  the  hungry  children  proved 
too  much  for  the  poor  father.  Truly  Virginius  of 
old  acted  in  much  the  same  way. 

This,  of  course,  is  an  extreme  case,  and  in  order 
to  arrive  at  a  fair  conclusion,  we  look,  as  far  as 
possible,  a  census  of  the  Livycrcs — noting  the  num- 
bers and  ages  of  children — the  proportion  that  could 
read  and  wri  e,  and  the  number  each  had  of  gallons 
of  molasses,  barrels  of  flour  or  pork,  pounds  of  tea, 
and  tobacco,  which,  alas,  nearly  all  use,  however  poor 
and  unable  to  afford  luxuries.  That  a  very  large 
proportion  had  a  quite  insufficient  quantity  of  food 
became  beyond  question.  It  must  be  remembered 
it  is  not  a  question  of  how  much  they  can  buy,  but 
how  much  a  supplier  is  willing  to  give  to  people 
already  heavily  indebted  to  him,  only  a  few  being 
independent  enough  to  pay  down  for  whiit  they 
take.  Government  aid,  sea  birds,  seals,  trout,  willow 
grouse,  and  rabbits,  i.e.  arctic  hares,  are  the  supple- 
mental sources  available.  The  Newfoundlanders  are 
too  often  only  little  better  off  than  Labradormen, 
and  I  have  many  piteous  accounts  of  parents  them- 
selves sutfering  chronic  starvation  in  order  to  supply 
their  little  ones  with  the  necessities  of  life.  Soon, 
it  is  sincerely  to  be  hoped,  the  interior  of  Newfound- 
land will  be  opened  up.  All  look  to  the  new  rail- 
way to  turn  the  attention  of  many  to  the  cultivation 


Ill   II 


«4 


r/A/.Vr/.S    OF    TODAY 


V  il 


of  the  land,  wliirh  will  at  least  help  to  n-iKk'r  ex- 
istence more  easy.  It  is  reasonable  to  Ikiju*  also 
that  the  new  sealin.i;  laws,  the  new  fishery  restrii- 
tions,  and  Mr.  Adolph  Neilsen's  magnificent  work 
at  the  lish  hatchery  and  lobster  incubation,  are  the 
presas^cs  of  happier  times.  lUit  the  people  can  never 
be  free,  industrious,  and  contented,  until  the  truck 
system  is  dead  and  buried.* 

'  December,  1S94.  Ami  now  tlie  lonp  impcnflinj;  crash  has  come— hoth 
the  banks  of  Newfoimill.inil  h.ivc  failed,  ami  ten  out  of  twelve  merchant-.' 
firms  liave  had  to  suspend  payment,  while  llie  mas>es  of  the  population  are 
face  to  face  with  absolute  starvation.  liie  Truck  System  has  entailed  luin 
on  all  concerned  in  it,  and  has  liroiiglit  the  country  to  the  verge  of  bank- 
ruptcy. There  are  not  few,  however,  who  .--ec  in  the.-.e  terrible  events  the 
promise  of  better  things.  A  better  system  of  trade  must  arise,  a  better 
relation  between  labour  and  capital,  a  better  era  for  this  oldest  of  England's 
colonies.  "  Whom  the  Lord  loveth  He  chasteneth."  God  grant  it  may  be 
so  in  this  case. 


fmtmm  %       'tm^K^'^mm^  < 

m  • 

^  '■ 

-i  ^  2       .5  a      1 

•  »♦ 

•^  -   ..      v  » 

-H 

'.    ■  i      t  "^ 

> 

1  -    ^  i 

0  '-^    . 

<• 

^-i  :  '   T 

■      ^      I  i 

2     1    .:           •.    "1 

0".  ■ 

:  0  p  :5, 

0  p- 

■  ^.  -;  r> 

1^^- 

P4  f-j  ^ 

f   -    f'^     ^-   .-.        1 

E  :  ,  -      J     1 

i 

0 

''                    ■?     —   —     M 

;  1  ■ 

0 

rentier  cx- 
lu>|v  also 
'vy  R'sirir- 
ccnt  work 
Jn,  iirc  the 
;  can  nevci- 
the  truck 


as  come— both 
Ive  nitrcliaiil-,' 
I")|'iilatii>n  are 
^  ciitailnl  niiii 
crye  of  bank. 
I)le  events  the 
arise,  a  belter 
t  of  Knglaiid's 
•itit  it  may  be 


A  Visit  from  K-<kimo. 


CHAPTER   IX 


l^ESUI.TS    OF    rUF.    FIRST    VISIT 

NOXTlMUIlR,  iS()2,  saw  the  Albert  once  more  in 
St.  Johns  Harbour,  after  having  sj-jjnt  seventy- 
eijLiht  days  on  the  coast.  vSlie  had  visited  many  hiir- 
bours,  treated  900  patients,  distributed  much  clothing 
and  literature,  and  collected  much  valuid-)le  informa- 
tion ;  while  Mr.  Adolph  Neilsen,  superintendent  of 
Newfoundland  fisheries,  who  had  joined  the  Albert 
during  the  greater  part  ol'  her  cruise,  had  been  carry- 
ing on  scientific  observations  calculated  to  directly 
benefit  the  fishing  industry.  Daih'  services  had  been 
held,  at  which  thousands  in  all  had  been  present,  and 
not  a  few  had  confessed  opjnly  aboard  their  inten- 
tion, by  God's  help,  to  live  new  lives. 
On  arriving  in  a  new  harbour,  our  large  blue  flag, 


86 


r/A/.V^.S   OF    TODAY 


n3Nv  known  alon^'  Ihc  whole  coast  as  llic  hctiikl  of 
^ood  things,  had  always  proved  a  sullicicnt  call  to 
prayers.  We  lound  no  need  for  adventitious  attrac- 
tions; where  opportunities  are  so  few,  we  found  men 
and  women  only  too  ylad  to  come  and  join  in  simple 
praise  to  God  for  mercies  past,  and  prayer  lor  the 
unknown  future  before  them.  Here  the  uncertainty 
of  things  seen,  renders  things  unseen  more  real,  while 
the  impotence  of  man  bein^"  so  evident,  makes  the 
power  of  his  Maker  more  intensely  felt,  and  the 
anxiety  to  be  ever  ready  to  meet  Jlim  more  deeply 
earnest.  l£ven  the  sceptic  has  acknowledged  it 
means  somethin.u,  this  "coming  to  Christ"  of  the 
fisherman.  His  faith,  unburdened  by  "higher  criti- 
cisms," or  convenient  interpretations,  sees  in  his 
Master's  words  a  call  to  follow  Him,  on  earth  as  well 
as  in  heaven.  Often  I  have  watched  men  tremble 
and  hesitate,  time  after  time,  when  God's  vSpirit  seems 
striving  with  them,  before  the  linal  step  is  taken. 
For  they  count  well  the  cost  beforehand,  and  realize 
fully  the  weakness  of  their  own  natures.  But  once 
"  over  the  line  "  means  folloiviug  Christ  to  them — 
means  coming  out,  being  separate,  marked  men. 
The  world  sets  for  them  no  higher  standard  than 
they  set  for  themselves,  and  their  self-sacrilicing 
tidelity  to  their  ideal  has  stirred  the  heart  of  more 
than  one  Christian  worker.  There  is  little  half-and- 
half  following,  little  "coasting"  for  fear  of  "launch- 
ing out,"  such  as  saps  to-day  the  joy  and  rejoicing 
of  thousands  of  professed  Christians.     A  fisherman 


////;    / /i7(  A'    .sV.s//   1/ 


87 


lilt'  herald  of 
Itkivni  call  to 
ititious  attrac- 
vc  lound  men 
join  in  simple 
•rayer  for  the 
L'  uncertainty 
)re  real,  while 
t,  makes  the 
'"^'Jt,   and   the 

more  deeply 
lowletlged  it 
nst"  of  the 
hij.'-her  criti- 

s^t'es  in  his 
^arth  as  well 
nen  tremble 
Spirit  seems 
-P  is  taken. 

and  realize 

I3ut  once 

to  them— 

I'ked  men. 
itlard  than 
-sacrificing 

It  of  more 
^  halfand- 
f  "launch- 
rejoicing 

fisherman 


:1 


kiu)\\>  it  iu-  has  "  tacked  >iiii\"  and  is  on  the  Lord's 
side,  or  on  the  other  side.  Ollen  tiiey  say,  "  1  should 
like  to  Iv  ";  almost  nevei",  "  1  hop^'  I  am." 

I'or  visitin;;'  places  inaccessible  to  the  ship,  Ironi 
the  fact  that  they  lay  amonti  dan^e!'ous  rocks,  or 
up  narrow  creeks,  or  because  they  only  ollcivd  shelter 
to  small  boats,  we  had  taken  with  us  a  twenly-live 
foot  whale-boat,  the  Alfnil,  which  we  riuned  with 
two  lun-saiis  and  a  jib.  in  this  we  made  many 
journeys.  Once  we  cajisi/ed  her;  once  lost  our  way 
in  the  tV^!:,  and  had  a  nasty  half-hour,  with  wind 
risinjif,  and  fearini*  we  were  makini;  out  to  sea  as  we 
ran  before  it,  till  the  thunder  of  the  surf  warned  us 
of  the  land,  and  the  bottom  of  towering  cliffs,  white 
with  Atlantii'  breakers,  broke  suddenly  into  view. 
We  had  to  abandon  the  boat  that  ni.uht,  and  walk 
home  over  the  hills;  but  we  manancLl  to  fetch  her 
home,  clo.se-reefed  under  shelter  of  the  back  of  the 
islands,  next  day.  It  so  happened  that  where  we 
landed  two  or  three  couples  wanted  maiM-yinii-.  No 
chiince  had  offered  for  several  years,  so  one  couple 
determined  at  once  to  return  to  the  ship  with  us  for 
that  ceremon\',  as  we  had  at  the  time  a  visitin.u; 
minister  on  board.  Tt  was  late  at  ni.L;ht  before  we 
not  there,  but  Ave  decided  w)  any  hour  was  better 
than  none,  and  {2}  that  in  a  lonely  harbour,  on  a 
solitary  ship  (and  as  they  already  had  three  chil- 
dren), "  pronouncini!,'  the  b;inns  mi^ht  be  dispensed 
with."  So  we  adjourned  to  the  cabin,  and  proceeded 
to  business  at  once.     The  skipper  was  best  man  and 


8S 


VIKJXGS   OF    TO-DAY 


I  W 


IS  witnc 


wliilc  tlic  steward  and  civw,  who  had 


y' 


previously  decorated  the  cabin  with  luintini:',  toi^ether 
witli  one  or  two  Li\veres  from  the  creels,  were  con- 


ureLiiition. 


Alter   all    was   over,  hard   biscuits    and 


tea  Were  ser\ed,  in  lieu  of  a  weddinn  breakfast, 
while  the  occasion  was  honoured  from  [i  few  old 
fowlinu-pieccs  and  by  a  couple  of  dynamite  distress 
rockets  on   the  A/hni's  deck.     AltOLicthei',  we  visited 


thi'lv-li 


h; 


in  the  Alfycd  and  the  Albert  some  tnrly-live  nar- 
bours,  exertions  which  so  told  on  the  Af/ii'd's  con- 
stitution that  now  >he  is  takinLi  her  last  rest  at 
(ireat    N'armouth. 

nur  dingey  also  upset  in  Domino  Run,  when  en- 
dea\()urinL!,'  to  Lict  ashore;  an  accident  which  proved 
nearly  fatal  to  the  ship's  carpenter,  for  he  happened 
to  come  up  under  the  sail,  and  was  unable  to 
swim.  'laj^i^ily  it  only  ended  in  an  undi.nnilied 
leseue.  A  more  serious  accident  happened  to  the 
A/hcr/'s  winch,  for  in  W'insor  Harbour,  while  let- 
tini;  LiO  the  anchoi^,  a  catch  mot  wronii,"  and  stripped 
off  all  the  teeth  of  the  cou,- wheels.  After  this  we 
Were  unable  to  ,iL;et  our  anchor  in,  except;  with  the 
hell')  ^^  '^  i^reat  many  men,  for  it  was  impossible  to 
replace  the  co,i;-wheel  on  the  Labradfjr.  It  was  quite 
a  sinlu  on  leaxini;-  harbours  to  see  often  fifty  men, 
who  had  come  off  voluntarily,  "  walkinii!,"  in "  the 
anchor  by  m 'ans  of  a  system  of  pulleys,  each  as  he 
came  to  the  stern  of  the  ship  trottinii,"  back  to  catch 
hold  of  the  rope  a^ain  near  the  bow,  [i  continuous 
chain  of  men  beini;'  thus  maintained,  and  all  siuLiin^", 


ivw,  who  had 
itinii-,  tog-ether 
.'ck,  Wire  con- 

MscLiits  and 
n.Li'  breakfast, 
•m  a  few  okl 
a  mite  distress 
CT,  we  A- i  si  ted 
i'ly-live  har- 
.llfii'd's  eon- 

kist    ivst    at 

Lin,   when  en- 

^vliieh  pi-oved 

he  ha  Impelled 

^    unable    to 

undi.^nilied 
x-ned  to  the 
■,  while  let- 
md  stripped 
Tter  this  we 
^'pt  with  the 
m possible  to 
It  was  quite 
n  fifty  men, 
ni;-   in  "    the 

ciieh  as  he 
Kk  to  eatch 

continuous 
nil  siniiin^ii", 


8» 


I 


THE    TRUCK   SYSTEM 


yi 


as  they  pulled,  one  of  the  old  shanty  songs  to  assist 
them  to  pull  together.  The  names  of  the  harbours 
we  entered  were,  if  old  Eskimo  names,  long  and  un- 
pronounceable, such  as  Nukasasuktok  ;  if  French, 
often  almost  unrecognisable,  thus  Cape  d'Espoir  has 
become  Cape  Despair ;  if  English,  often  descriptive 
of  some  incident,  such  as  Run-by-Guess,  Seldom- 
Come-By,  Ice  Tickle,  Cutthroat  Island,  Split-Knife 
Harbour,  Bakeapple  Bight,  Tumbledown  Dick  Island, 
and  so  on. 

When  visiting  up  the  bays  our  chief  enemies 
were  always  the  mosquitos.  These  are  a  very 
real  scourge,  for,  like  the  black  lly  and  sand  fly, 
which  also  exist  in  myriads,  they  bite  very  severely, 
and  we  found  them  at  times  so  thick  that  it  was 
difficult  to  breathe  without  inhaling  them.  Even 
the  "  Livyeres "  seldom,  if  ever,  get  accustomed  to 
them,  while  it  is  at  times  impossible  to  send  New- 
foundland crews  up  inlets  for  lirewood. 

Our  medical  cases  had  included  many  and  various 
ailments,  especially  of  the  eye,  the  lungs,  and  the 
skin.  Many  teeth,  of  course,  had  called  for  atten- 
tion; and  the  forceps  had  on  more  occasions  than 
one  been  the  way  to  a  man's  heart.  If  you  do  not 
believe  this,  try  a  week's  toothache  at  sea  without 
remedies. 

Among  many  interesting  cases  was  that  of  one 
poor  fellow,  who  fourteen  days  previously  had  iicci- 
dentally  shot  off  both  his  arms  below  the  elbows. 
Since  that  time  he  had  lain  on  his  back,  with  nothing 


02 


VIKIXGS   OF    TO-DAY 


ill! 


II      Bii 

i    nil 


i|  1    ! 


but  an  oily  raj»'  over  the  wounds.  As  we  went  into 
his  hut  he  held  up  the  raw  stumps  piteously,  from 
which,  in  each  case,  some  inches  of  bare  bone 
protruded.  What  could  be  done  was  done  to  relieve 
his  agony,  but  the  poor  fellow  died  of  exhaustion 
after  an  operation  on  the  stumps.  The  niii^ht  we 
were  leaving  that  harbour  it  was  dark  and  blowing 
as  I  clambered  out  over  the  rocks,  to  signal  for  the 
ship's  boat  about  lo  p.m.  There  I  found  waiting 
for  me  the  poor  man's  wife,  who,  in  a  Hood  of  tears, 
gratefully  wrung  my  hands,  till  I  too  felt  a  choking 
sensation  about  the  throat.  There  was  something 
so  real  in  her  sorrow,  now  left  still  more  lonely  on 
that  lonely  coast. 

One  day  a  silver-haired  old  lisherman  came  aboard 
for  advice.  "  All  my  three  sons  died  this  summer 
from  diphtheria,  sir,"  he  told  me.  "  I  buried  them 
all  the  same  week.  My  eldest  was  nineteen,  and  he 
lasted  out  the  fever ;  but  he  couldn't  swallow,  and  I 
did  not  know  how  to  feed  him."  "  What  did  you 
do?"  "Well,  I  tied  a  split  herring  round  his  throat 
— some  say  that  is  good — but  he  starved  to  death 
before  my  eyes.  It  is  hard  for  us  now  to  get  along, 
with  no  one  to  help  me  tend  the  nets.  Vou  see  I'm 
not  so  3^oung  now  as  I  was." 

One  poor  woman,  with  a  tumour  of  the  leg,  one 
day  sent  for  "  the  mission  doctor."  She  couldn't 
walk  for  it,  she  said,  and  life  had  become  a  burden. 
We  told  her,  "  An  operation  will  make  you  quite 
well,  and  we  can  put  you  to  sleep  while  it  is  done." 


THE    TRUCK  SYSTEM 


93 


Slie  would  not  take  chloroform,  however,  and  so  we 
thought  all  was  ov^cr.  Next  morninji^  another  mes- 
sage summoned  me  to  the  cottage,  where  I  found 
five  strong  men  waiting.  "  These  men  have  pro- 
mised to  hold  me,  doctor,  while  you  take  that  away. 
But  I  may  bawl,  mayn't  I?"  In  quarter  of  an  hour 
all  was  completed,  and  my  plucky  patient  was  laugh- 
ing loudest  at  the  queer  scene  ;  for  bawl  she  had, 
indeed,  "to  keep  me  from  thinking  of  it,"  she  said. 
But  the  men  held  on  well,  and  in  ten  days  she  was 
all  healed,  and  was  up  and  walking. 

Among  our  most  interesting  visits  had  been  that 
to  Hopedale,  the  most  southern  station  of  the  Mora- 
vian missionaries ;  but  I  must  leave  to  a  later  chapter 
a  description  of  the  Eskimo,  of  whom  we  saw  a 
good  deal.  There  were  three  Moravians  and  their 
wives  here,  the  oldest  having  lived  in  Labrador 
twenty-seven  years.  Once  a  year  they  communi- 
cate wath  England  by  the  good  ship  HavmovXy 
which,  with  its  predecessors,  has  been  visiting  the 
coast  for  one  hundred  and  twenty  years.  These  men 
are  true  followers  of  the  Saviour  in  the  self-sacri- 
licing  spirit,  which  draws  them  to  live  their  lives 
out  on  so  barren  and  deserted  a  coast.  At  seven 
years  old  their  children  leave  them  for  ever,  to  be 
educated  in  Germany,  and  then  find  an  occupation 
in  life.  In  one  harbour,  Zoar,  was  a  lonely  mis- 
sionary and  his  wife,  who  had  just  sent  home  their 
eighth  and  last  child,  a  little  girl  of  seven  years. 
"Can  you  not  bring  me  a  baby  from  England?  we 


Hi 


m 


1      I 


94 


VIKINGS   OF   TO-DAY 


are  so  lonely  now,"  said  the  good  man's  wife  to  me. 
Even  to  get  a  wife  they  must  write  home,  and  one  is 
chosen  by  lot  lor  them.  After  our  visit,  they  wrote 
as  follows : — 

IIoPEDALE,  Labrador, 

September  ']th. 
To  the  Council  of  the  Mission  to  Deep  Sea  FisJiernicn. 

Gentlemex, — On  behalf  of  the  Moravian  Mission 
here  I  would  ask  you  to  accept  our  warmesc  thanks 
for  sending  your  ship,  the  Albert,  to  visit  us  and  our 
people,  cut  off  as  we  are  for  so  many  months  in  the 
year  from  the  rest  of  the  world.  We  feel  by  its 
visit  that  we  are  within  your  thoughts.  For  the 
comfort  we  have  found  in  having  our  hands  spiritu- 
ally strengthened  by  the  presence  of  other  Christian 
men;  for  what  benefit  we  have  received  from  medical 
attendance  in  our  Mission  house  and  in  our  congre- 
gation ;  for  the  kind  gift  of  books  for  our  library, 
and  for  the  blessing  we  had  in  joining  these  meet- 
ings kept,  and  for  the  pleasure  we  have  had  in  meet- 
ing all  those  we  met  from  the  Albert,  we  beg  you  to 
accept  our  most  hearty  thanks.  May  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  bless  your  work  everywhere,  as  He  has  done 
it  here  among  the  fishermen  and  at  our  station. 

With  kind  and  brotherly  love,  we  remain  your 
brethren  in  Christ, 

P.  M.  Hansen', 

Moravian  Missionary. 

In  Hopedale   Plarbour  we  stayed  many  days,  for 


11  '^'^1. 


THE   TRUCK   SYSTEM 


05 


hundreds  of  vessels  kept  calling  in  on  ihcir  ■way 
south ;  lor  winter  was  then  approaching,  and  al- 
ready cod-trap  boats  going  to  their  nets  had  had  to 
cut  throu,L;h  two  inches  of  new  ice. 

On  our  arrival  in  St.  Johns  it  was  thought  advis- 
able to  report  the  results  and  deductions  from  this 
experimental  voyage.  Accordingly  his  Excellency 
the  Governor,  wSir  Terence  O'Brien,  invited  the  lead- 
ing citizens  acquainted  with  the  fishery  to  meet  at 
Government  House.  The  report  showed  that  (i) 
much  needless  suffering,  limbs  and  special  functions, 
besides  life  itself,  were  to  be  saved  by  the  possibility 
of  obtaining  skilled  assistance  in  the  first  instance ; 
the  famous  sealing  master,  Captain  Sam  Blandford, 
who  Avas  present,  stating  that  while  he  had  charge 
of  the  mail  steamer  plying  on  the  coast,  seventeen 
unforlun;Ue  people  had  died  aboard  without  possi- 
bility of  proper  treatment.  (2;  That  even  that  year 
twenty-nine  persons  had  died  at  one  harbour  in 
Labrador  of  diphtheria  without  being  able  to  get  a 
doctor's  help — nay,  more,  no  one  would  take  their 
lish  or  visit  them  to  trade  a  winter's  supply.  (3") 
That  the  doctor  on  the  small  mail  steamer  was  so 
short  a  time  in  each  harbour,  and  the  time  of  his 
arrival  so  uncertain,  that  the  people  had  little  confl- 
uence in  the  few  moments  possible  to  devote  to  each 
case,  even  if  they  were  fortunate  enougli  to  see  the 
doctor  at  all,  while  it  was  impossible  to  undertal^e 
any  serious  case  with  success,  (.u  That  poverty 
and    starvation    directly    result    from    sickness    or 


1 


II 


■     i 

96 


yih'I\(7S   OF    TODAY 


accident  to  the  breadwinner  bein^  left  untreiiled. 
After  the  report  the  followinii;  proposition  was  moved 
by  the  Hon.  A.  Harvey,  and  supported  l')y  wSir  Wm. 
White  way,  premier,  and  Sir  Rol-)ert  Thorl-jorne,  ex- 
premier,  which  was  carried  unanimously:  — 

^^  Resolved  —  That  this  meeting:,  representing  the 
principal  merchants  and  traders  carrying  on 
the  fisheries,  especially  on  the  coast  of  Labra- 
dor, and  others  interested  in  the  welfare  of 
this  colony,  desires  to  tender  its  warmest 
thanks  to  the  directors  of  the  Deep  Sea  Mis- 
sion for  their  philanthropic  generosity  in  send- 
ing their  Hospital  ship  Albert  to  visit  the  fish- 
ing settlements  on  the  Labrador  coast.  .  .  . 
"  JNluch  of  our  fishing  industry  is  carried 
on  in  regions  be\'ond  the  ordinary  reach  of 
medic[d  aid  or  of  charity,  and  it  is  with  the 
deepest  sense  of  gratitude  that  this  meeting 
learns  of  the  amount  of  medical  and  surgical 
work  done,  besides  all  the  other  relief  and  help 
so  liberally  distributed.  This  meeting  also 
desires  to  express  the  hope  that  the  directors 
of  the  Mission  may  see  their  wa}^  to  continu- 
ing the  work  thus  begun,  and  should  they  do 
so  they  may  be  assured  of  the  earnest  co-oper- 
ation of  all  classes  of  this  community.'' 

His  Excellency   the   Governor   then    nominated  a 
committee  to  help  to  perpetuate  and  extend  the  oper- 


^ 


RESULTS   OF    THE   FIRST    VISIT 


m 


ations  of  the  Mission  in  Labnulor.  One  nuivhant 
present,  Mr.  W.  Baine  Grieve,  presented  to  the 
•Mission  a  house  at  Hattle  Harbour  for  the  first 
hospital. 

The  Albert  soon  after  left  for  England.  She  reached 
"N'armouth  on  December  i^t,  where  she  received  a 
hearty  reception  from  the  many  friends  of  the  work. 

In  the  report  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of 
Newfoundland  the  following  reference  to  the  work 
was  included:  — 

"  A  new  feature  worthy  of  mention  in  this  report, 
affecting  as  it  does,  more  or  less,  the  comfort  of 
20,000  or  30,000  of  our  people,  was  the  appearance 
on  the  Labrador  coast  of  the  Mission  to  Deep  Sea 
Fishermen  ship  Albert,  outfitted  by  a  philanthropic 
society  in  England,  non-sectarian  in  its  lines,  and 
intended  to  afford  skilled  medical  aid  to,  and  provide 
to  some  extent  for  the  mental  and  material  wants 
of  our  fishermen.  This  essay  has  been  an  unqualified 
success,  and  has  evoked  from  the  recipients  of  its 
bounty  expressions  of  deep  gratitude,  while  at  the 
same  time  it  has  engendered  in  the  breasts  of  all 
who  are  interested  in  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of 
the  Colony  feelings  that  must  strengthen  the  bonds 
which  bind  this  comparatively  neglected  dependency 
to  the  Mother  Country.  The  vivid  portraiture,  by 
the  doctor  in  charge,  of  his  own  personal  experiences 
on  the  coast  is  likely  to  result  in  well-organized  co- 
operation by  the  Colony  next  season  upon  the  lines 
on  which  the  Mission  ship  is  being  worked." 

H 


lil 


OS 


vik'/\(;s  OF  i<)  i).\y 


And    in  I'Y-bruary,  1893,  il^<^    followini;    resolution 
was  received  from  the  St.  Johns  Committee: — 

"That  this  representative  Committee  will  under- 
take to  provide  two  suitable  buildings  which 
may  be  used  as  hospitals  by  the  Mission  to 
Deep  Sea  Fishermen,  should  the  Council  of  the 
Mission  signify  their  intention  to  continue 
their  operations  on  the  coast  of  Labrador,  and 
the  Committee  will  heartily  co-operate  in  any 
other  way  that  the  Council  of  the  Society 
may  suggest. 

"  That  a  copy  of  the  foregoing  resolution  be 
forwarded  to  Dr.  Grenfell  for  the  information 
of  the  Societ3\ 

O'Briex,  Governor,  Chainnan. 

Monroe,  Secretary ^ 


"(Signed)  ["J"j; 


The  council  of  the  Mission  replied  that  they  were 
prepared  to  fit  out  a  second  expedition,  and  to  under- 
take the  working  of  the  two  hospitals. 

During  the  rest  of  February,  March,  and  April 
the  captain  of  the  Albert  and  myself  held  meetings 
in  various  towns,  in  the  endeavour  to  raise  money 
to  carry  on  the  work.  Meanwhile  we  sent  out 
directions  for  the  fitting  up  of  the  house  given  by 
Mr.  Baine  Grieve  at  Battle  Harbour,  and  also  plans 
for  a  wooden  hospital,  to  be  built  in  sections  in  St. 
Johns,  for  transference  to  Indian  Harbour,  at  the 
entrance  to  Eskimo  Bay,  one  hundred  and  eighty 
miles  further  north. 


I!  ESC  LIS   OF    THE    ElJCSr    VISIT 


9) 


In  April  an  earnest  apjual  was  nridc  for  money 
to  obtain  a  steam  lamuh,  to  assist  liie  Albcyt,  by 
visiting  otlKrwisc  inaeecssiblu  places,  and  l\v  towing 
her  in  and  out  of  narrow  harbours.  At  the  same 
time  preparations  were  beini;  pushed  ahead  at  Yar- 
mouth. 'J'he  Albeit  was  onee  more  recalled  IVom 
her  work  in  the  North  Sea.  She  was  victualled  lor 
six  months,  relitted  as  far  [is  necessary,  and  stored 
with  the  clothinj4,  woollens,  and  literature  which  had 
been  in  the  process  of  collection  all  winter.  A  crew 
was  shipped,  and  by  the  ist  of  May  she  was  all 
ready  to  sail.  Our  whaler  had  been  knocked  to 
pieces  last  3'ear,  and  we  had  to  get  a  new  boat  to 
replace  it,  or  trust  still  to  the  money  coming  in  for 
a  steam  launch. 

Arrangements  had  been  made  for  the  Albert  to  visit 
one  or  two  English  seaports  on  her  journey  out,  in 
order  to  solicit  further  help,  amongst  others  Exeter, 
Swansea,  and  Bristol,  whence  she  was  to  s.'iil  direct 
to  St.  Johns.  Still  the  money  had  not  come  in. 
While,  however,  we  were  at  Dristol,  our  boat  still 
unbought,  the  joyful  news  reached  us,  "  Money  neces- 
sary for  a  launch  has  now  come  in."  The  Albert 
touched  last  of  all  at  Swansea,  where  a  suitable 
rowing  boat,  the  Mary  Groifell,  was  presented  to 
her.  In  Chester  we  found  the  most  suitable  launch 
for  the  money  we  had — an  oak-built,  copper-fastened 
boat,  w^ith  simple  9-inch  engine,  six  years  of  age, 
though  only  little  work  had  been  done  in  her.  She 
was  forty-five  feet  long.     Her  great  defect  was  her 


Ill' 


100 


VIKINGS  OF   TODAY 


width,  which  was  only  cii-ht  Icct,  so  tliat,  bein^ 
carvel-built,  she  would  roll  most  dreadfully.  How- 
ever, while  the  Albeyt  sailed  across  to  Queenstown 
we  fitted  out  the  launch  at  a  total  cost  of  Il[\2:),  and 
arranged  to  ship  it  direct  by  Allan  line  steamer 
Coyctin  to  St.  Johns.  On  June  ist  1  joined  the  Albert 
at  Queenstown,  and  next  morning  we  set  sail  lor 
Newfoundland. 

The  hospital  committee  had  meanwhile  appointed 
A.  O.  Hobardt,  M.B.,  M.R.C.S.,  of  Melbourne,  Australia, 
and  Kini^'s  Hospital,  and  Eliot  Curwen,  Mil,  li.A., 
of  Cambrid|:;e  and  the  London  Hospital,  as  medical 
missionaries  for  the  two  hospitals.  These  sailed 
with  us  in  the  Albert.  They  had  also  appointed 
Miss  Cecilia  Williams  and  Miss  Ada  Carwardine  to 
act  as  matrons  and  nurses  under  the  doctors,  and 
had  arranged  for  them  to  sail  by  the  same  steamer 
as  the  launch.  We  had  three  dirty  days  on  the  way 
out,  and  once  were  at  close  quarters  with  a  large 
iceberg,  but  the  Albert  again  quitted  herself  well, 
and  on  our  arrival  in  St.  Johns  we  again  experi- 
enced the  greatest  of  kindness.  Our  committee  had 
collected  some  fifteen  hundred  dollars.  A  meeting 
was  at  once  called,  and  a  small  executive  of  two 
members  \.ere  appointed  for  each  hospital,  the  Hon, 
M.  Monroe  acting  for  Battle  Harbour  and  Mr.  W.  C. 
Job  for  Indian  Harbour. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  launch  she  was  at  once  put 
into  order  for  starting,  while  the  nurses  joined  the 
Albert,   as   the  best   way   to   reach    their   respective 


RESULTS   OF    Till.    I  I KST    VISIT 


101 


stations.  Mcj'nwhilc  the  Indian  Harbour  hospital 
was  sent  on  by  steamer  to  Labi'atlor.  lUit  a  pleas- 
ing lunelion  yet  remained  to  be  done  -the  ehristcn- 
in.Lj  ot  the  new  launch.  A  tele^::ram  had  reaehed 
us  that  the  i'rincess  May,  who  had  lon^  been 
interested  in  the  Mission  to  Deep  .Sea  Fishermen, 
had   consented    to   allow    it    to   be    named   alter  her. 

I 

Accordingly  on  May  ()th,  amidst  mueii  rejoieiny; 
and  display  of  bunlin;^.  Her  Mxeelleney  Lady 
U'Urien  christened  our  launcli  the  Princess  May, 


'  ti 


^1 


I 


The  Princess  May  in  Hamilton  Inlet. 


CHAPTER    X 


OUR    SECOND    SEASON 

ON  Friday,  July  7th,  with  a  steward,  an  engineer, 
and  Dr.  Bobardt  as  my  companion,  the  Pyiiicess 
May  left  St.  Johns  for  Labrador,  the  Albert  having 
left  the  previous  day.  It  was  not  without  some  feel- 
ings of  misdoubt  that  we  first  encountered  the  swell  of 
the  Atlantic,  knowing  we  should  not  make  harbour 
till  night ;  and  as  we  had  two  large  ba3's  to  cross, 
none  of  us  being  familiar  with  the  coast,  we  had 
.hoped  for  a  clear  day  to  enjible  us  to  keep  the  land 
in  sight ;  but  here  again  we  were  disappointed,  for  the 
rebound  IVom  the  cliffs  forced  us  to  stand  out  half 
a  mile  to  sea,  and  a  dense  fog  shut  everything  from 
view.  Not  ha\ing  vet  given  the  launch  a  trial  our- 
selves,  and  she  being  six  years  of  iige,  we  were  not 

loa 


OUR   SECOND  SEASON 


103 


surprised  after  the  first  live  miles,  when  the  en- 
gineer sang  out,  "Sprung  a  leak,  sir;  shall  we  put 
back?"  An  examination  revealed  the  fact  that  we 
could  stop  the  leak  with  a  wood  plug ;  and  so  to 
disappoint  some  few  "  croakers,"  who  had  "  told  us 
so,"  we  settled  to  stand  on.  Our  compass  having 
only  a  crrd  disc,  and  not  being  filled  with  spirit  to 
steady  it,  proved  very  unsteady,  our  narrow  width, 
of  only  eight  feet,  making  us  roll  very  rapidly.  We' 
adopted  the  method  of  endeavouring  to  steer  mid- 
way between  the  extreme  points  the  needle  swung 
to,  and  then  to  keep  one  point  inside  our  course  so 
that  we  should  not  run  out  to  sea.  Very  shortly 
this  resulted  in  bringing  us  up  straight  before  a 
perpendicular  cliff.  Evidently  our  compass  was  in- 
correct. An  examination  revealed  that  its  box  had 
been  screwed  on  to  the  cabin  with  large  iron  screws, 
the  proper  binnacle  having  been  broken  on  the  V03'- 
age  out,  and  being  still  at  the  opiician's  in  St. 
Jrhns.  These  we  soon  extracted,  and  making  a 
fresh  start  to  the  nor'ard  sighted  Bacalhao  Island, 
about  forty  miles  from  St.  Johns,  at  mid-daj'. 

Not  having  sighted  any  more  land  by  5  p.m.,  we 
began  to  think  it  was  time  to  turn  inshore,  and  after 
some  time  found  ourselves  suddenly  amidst  numbers 
of  ragged  rocks  and  sm;ill  islands.  Our  chart  book 
described   on   the    north    side    of   Trinity    Bay  some 


"  Rauued  Islands 


and  wc  guessed  we  had   struck 


ainong    these,  so   once   more  we    stood   out  into   the 
fog.    Shortly  a  weird  noise  attracted   our  attention. 


■% 


104 


VIk'rXGS   OF    TO-DAY 


Wc  Stopped  and  listened.  "Ws,  it  wjis  a  fo,i;-liorn. 
This  conlirmed  our  recent  diai^nosis  of  "  J^au^ed 
Islands,"  and  once  more  we  knew  where  we  were. 
Ni.c^ht  saw  us  safely  berthed  in  Catalina  Harbour, 
where  we  managed  to  coal  ship  before  going  to  rest. 
With  no  small  feelings  of  satisfaction  we  went  be- 
low that  night.  True  the  locker  was  hard  to  lie  on, 
but  the  anxiety  and  subsequent  success  of  that  first 
day  was  a  sure  soporific,  combined  with  the  fact  that 
the  previous  night  had  been  none  too  restful,  for  we 
had  then  no  confidence  in  the  powers  of  the  Princess 
May.  Here  we  found  our  compass  was  still  incor- 
rect, so  wc  unshipped  it  altogether  and  carried  it 
forward,  to  be  further  from  the  magnetic  influence 
of  certain  iron  hanules.  Right  gaily  we  left  har- 
bour next  morning,  but  outside  found  a  new  ex- 
perience. The  wind  h.'id  veered  round  and  was 
blowing  on  shore,  with  a  chilling  drizzly  rain  to 
enhance  the  effect  of  the  nasty  lop  of  the  sea.  Our 
loose  deck  gear  began  to  cio  overboard,  and  among 
it  our  boat-hook  took  leave  of  us.  Being  heavy  at 
one  end  it  disappeared  from  sight  at  once.  It  was 
gaily  painted  black  and  white,  and  we  were  sorry 
to  lose  it,  being  our  only  one.  As  I  looked  back  it 
suddenly  rose  again,  lifting  its  painted  handle  high 
out  of  water,  as  if  to  ask  for  help.  We  couldn't 
well  desert  it  after  that,  and  so  went  round  to  pick 
it  up.  Our  log  has  no  record  of  the  number  of 
circles  we  completed ;  but  if  the  reader  has  ever 
pursued  a  stick  with  one  heavy  end  in  a  choppy  sea, 


( 


OUR  SECOND  SEA  SOX 


107 


he  will  find  it  usually  disappears  just  as  the  vessel 
has  completed  the  tedious  manoeuvres  necessary  to 
come  up  to  it.  The  next  question  was,  should  we 
venture  further?  The  mail  steamer  was  just  coming; 
out  behind  us,  and  it  wouldn't  look  well  to  ^ive  up. 
We  would  try  for  Cape  Bonavista.  l^y  ten  o'clock 
the  Cape  was  safely  rounded,  and  the  wind  in- 
creasing we  determined  to  lay  into  the  Bay,  which 
is  twenty-eight  miles  across.  We  should  not  have 
reached  Greenspond,  north  of  the  bay,  that  nij^^ht,  had 
we  steamed  the  course  w^e  intended;  bul  after  some 
hours  steaming  and  seeing  no  land,  we  spied  a  fish- 
ing boat,  and  went  alongside  for  inf  iiuation  as  to 
our  locality.  We  found  we  were  already  across  the 
bay  to  our  great  surprise  and  jo3\  It  appeared  that 
Dr.  Bobardt,  who  had  steered  all  da}',  had  headed 
two  points  to  the  westward  of  his  course. 

We  were  loath  to  steam  on  vSunday,  but  our  next 
run  round  Cape  Freels  was  a  most  difficult  one,  from 
the  numberless  off-lying  rocks  and  shoals.  So  when 
three  a.m.  showed  a  clear  horizon  and  a  calm  sea, 
we  started  off.  Alas,  fog  fell  on  us  shortly,  and  left 
us  threading  our  way  through  the  labyrinth.  Now 
and  again  we  could  see  bottom,  and  at  times  some 
rock  near  the  surface,  over  which  at  intervals  the 
swell  would  break  with  a  noise  like  thunder.  The 
Princess  May  did  Avell  this  day — covering  eighty 
miles — and  the  mail  steamer,  which  had  only  Just 
reached  and  was  anchored  for  the  night  in  Toulin- 
guct  Harbour,  was  surprised  to  see  us  come  in  and 


j  > 
'■  'i 

I; 

ft' 


loS 


VIKIXns   OF    TO-DAY 


1 


lie  up  iilonqside.  The  fourth  d;iy  s:iw  us  on  the 
lM"ench  shore,  .'is  we  rounded  Cape  John  at  mid- 
day. Here,  liowever,  we  met  a  strong-  liead  wind, 
against  wliieh  we  liad  no  alternative  but  to  steam. 
Now,  to  pro\ide  some  kind  of  cabin,  ;i  little  house 
had  been  built  into  the  loiv-part  of  the  launch,  with 
a  square  ,<;lass  Ironl,  beinn  inside  just  about  the  size 
and  shape  of  the  ordinary  'bus.  As  we  steamed 
into  the  head  sea,  it  was  just  up  to  this  part  of  the 
cabin,  ^^hich  projected  a  couple  of  feet  abov^c  deck, 
that  the  launch  dived,  with  the  result  that  a  sort  of 
water  spout  was  thrown  up  and  then  dropped  on 
deck.  ^\'t,  as  everythin,!:;-  was  closed  up,  no  water 
p,ot  below,  and  we  mima^ed  to  make  a  harbour  to 
the  north  side  of  the  headland.  The  water,  how- 
ever, |L>ot  everywhere  but  below,  and  we  were  glad 
of  a  change  after  dropping;-  anchor. 

At  almost  all  the  places  we  called  at  along  the 
iM'ench  shore,  we  found  the  people  very  poor  and 
but  little  educated.  Unfortunately  in  Newfound- 
land the  Sectarian  School  system  prevails,  with 
a  most  disastrous  result  among  these  poor  and 
scattered  communities.  In  all  we  found  some  who 
were  .anxious  to  [ivail  themselves  of  the  visit  of 
a  doctor.  In  many  no  quialified  medical  man  ever 
goes;  and  on  the  part  known  to  us,  that  is  the 
cast  coast,  there  arc  none  at  all  resident.  In  the 
lonely  harbour  we  were  now  in,  called  Pacquet, 
a  man  soon  emerged  fi'om  the  woods  and  came  off 
to  us  in  a  boat.     lie  was  ill-clad  and  looked  equally 


OUR  SECOND  SEASON 


I0() 


ill-fed,  and  his  boy,  who  was  uiih  him,  was  siirfcr- 
ini;"  from  a  pustular  disease  of  the  skin,  for  whieh 
we  preseribed.  Thoui^h  it  was  warm  where  we 
were  anchored  the  inlet  was  still  partially  choked 
by  two  lar,L;e  icebern's,  and  our  friend  told  us  that 
want  of  a  net,  and  indeed  any  proper  fishini;"  L!,ear, 
as  yet  prevented  their  L;ettin|L;"  an\'  lish.  The  mos- 
quitos  were  here  very  numerous  and  very  busy.  It 
was  impossible  almost  to  ,i;o  ashore  even  for  fresh 
water  from  the  river  at  the  he;id  of  the  inlet,  and 
indeed  when  the  dini;ey  came  back,  a  cloud  of  these 
bloodthirsty  pests  followed  her  to  the  launch,  and 
invited  themselves  to  spend  the  ni^ht  in  our  already 
sufliciently  crowded  cabin.  Professor  Hind  narrates 
an  Indian  tradition  that  mosquitos  were  credited  for 
the  benelit  of  a  saint,  who,  for  disobedience,  had  been 
banished  from  heaven  to  a  desert  \x\y\.  of  the  earth. 
In  her  solitude  she  prayed  for  even  Hies  as  com- 
panions, whereupon  mosquitos  and  black  Hies  were 
credited.  This  gave  her  plenty  of  employment  till  it 
was  time  for  her  to  return,  but  the  Hies  remained 
in  order  to  teach  men  the  folly  of  trying-  to  divert 
their  attention  from  the  consequences  of  their  sins 
by  seekin^;'  amusement.  Captain  W'hilbourne  sayb 
they  are  of  ,i2,re[it  use  to  make  the  idle  work. 

We  were  early  astir  next  mornlnu,-,  and  took  ;i 
course  for  the  St.  Barbe  Islands.  I'.ut  a  breeze  rising- 
towards  the  land,  we  made  a  detour  in  oi\ler  to  cross 
White  Bay,  which  is  eighteen  miles  at  its  narrowest 
point,  and  so  lay  across  till  we  were  seven  or  eight 


) 


110 


VIKI.SCS   OF    TO  DAY 


miles  only  iVom  Ian.].  Then  avc  ai^ain  headed  north, 
and  by  nine  o'clock,  with  a  L-ood  breeze  behind  us, 
crossed  Hare  Bay  and  ran  into  St.  Anthony  Har- 
bour. Uurinp^  the  day  a  curious  mira<;e  had  lor 
some  time  kept  us  under  the  impression  that  we  were 
hedj.;ed  in  by  floe  ice.  We  could  see  the  vertical 
edge,  the  gleaming  wiiite  top,  and  what  appeared  to 
be  even  cracks,  Assures,  and  hummocks.  It  turned 
out  to  be  only  an  optical  illusion,  and  we  found  that 
it  kept  retreating  before  us  all  the  afternoon  like  a 
will-of-the-wisp.  At  St.  Anthony  we  were  among 
friends  of  last  year,  bO  were  soon  ashore,  and  the 
day  closed  with  a  hearty  service  in  the  kitchen  of 
the  largest  house. 

The  breeze  increasing,  delayed  us  a  da}^  in  this 
port,  but  before  daylight  on  the  13th  we  left  for 
an  attempt  to  cress  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle.  As 
wx*  rounded  Cape  Bauld  a  most  magniiicent  crimson 
light  lit  up  the  whole  horizon.  Against  it  stood 
out  many  stately  icebergs,  rising  weird  and  ghostly 
from  the  deep  purple  of  the  sea.  One  of  immense 
height  looked  just  like  some  gigantic  cathedral,  its 
gabled  roof  in  the  red  glow  shining  like  burnished 
gold,  w^hile  ever  and  anon  the  stillness  preceding 
dawn  was  broken  by  the  deep  boom  of  the  Atlantic 
swell  reverberating  from  some  hollow  chasm  at  its 
base,  suggesting  a  mighty  organ  pla^xd  in  its  vast 
recesses.  No  sooner  had  we  passed  it  in  silence 
than  the  engineer  touched  me  on  the  arm  and  pointed 
back  at  its  lordly  sur  mit.      "  Look,  sir !   isn't  that 


OUR  SKCOM)  SEASOX 


II 


that 


some  one  on  the  ber|4"  f*  "  And  there,  sure  enough, 
plain  and  i.haip  against  the  slvV,  on  the  crest,  stood 
the  hii^ure  of  a  man.  Rut  our  t^lasses  soon  dispelled 
the  illusion.  It  v.as  but  a  pinnacle  with  a  thin  base, 
which,  when  thus  seen  edgeways,  so  closely  resem- 
bled a  human  ligure. 

From  here  we  headed  for  the  Sacred  Islands,  and 
a  breeze  making  up  the  straits,  we  ran  in  behind 
Cape  Onion  to  see  what  sort  of  li  day  it  was  going 
to  be,  before  we  ventured  to  cross  the  straits.  I 
was  surprised,  on  landing,  at  the  quantity  and 
variety  of  wild  flowers  here.  There  were  represented 
among  many  others,  saxifrages,  umbellifers,  compo- 
sites, ranunculi,  primulas,  and  gentians.  The 
insectivorous  "  Drosera  "  is  common  on  the  heights, 
and  the  beautiful  "  Linnreus  borealis"  nestles  in 
among  the  scrub. 

The  country,  viewed  from  the  head,  is  very  pecu- 
liar, being,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  range,  one 
immense  flat  plain,  with  quite  as  much  water  as  dry 
land,  from  the  innumerable  winding  ponds  or  lakes 
of  fresh  water. 

By  mid-day  we  ventured  to  make  a  start,  and 
headed  direct  for  Cape  Charles,  close  inside  the 
island  of  Belle  Isle.  As  we  brought  the  hills  and 
steep  cliffs  of  Labrador  into  view,  Ave  found  there 
was  still  much  snow^  in  the  gulfs  and  crevices; 
while  it  was  necessary  carefully  to  thread  our  way 
among  the  numbers  of  icebergs,  which  up  to  this 
very  week  had  been  blocking  the  straits.  By  sun- 
down we  sighted  the  flag-staff  on  Battle  Island,  and 


i 


.  f 

it 


I 


I 


I 


J 

I 


■    11 


112 


VI KINGS  OF   TODAY 


at  7.:]<)  were  once  more  iilon^side  the  Albert.  A 
crowded  iL^.'itherin^  below  decks  closed  the  day,  all 
beinm  full  of  joy  and  hope  at  the  prospect  of  another 
season's  work. 

Next  day  the  house  p^ivcn  by  Mr.  i^aine  Grieve 
\vas  inspected,  and  we  found  that  Mr.  Hall,  the 
a^ent  for  the  lishery,  had  already  placed  it  almost 
in  a  condition  for  occupation.  The  A/Ocrt's  crew  also 
had  been  at  work  —  carpenter injL*,  paint ini^,  and 
landiuj^,-  heavy  i^oods,  such  as  bedsteads,  bedding, 
food,  drut;s,  and  furniture. 

Meanwhile,  the  hospital  for  Indian  Harbour,  at  the 
mouth  of  Hamilton  inlet,  had  been  sent  north,  ready 
cut  in  sections  in  the  coastal  steamer,  Wiiiscr  Lake. 
Two  carpenters  had  also  been  sent  north  to  work  at 
its  erection.  Next  day,  therefore,  our  party  divided 
again,  the  Albert  going  north  to  help  with  the 
second  hospital,  having  on  board  Dr.  Curwen  and 
Sister  Williams,  while  I,  in  the  Princess  May\  went 
south  along  the  stniits  of  Belle  Isle,  Dr.  Bobart 
and  Sister  Carwardine  remaining  at  Battle.  This 
arrangement  was  rendered  possible  by  the  agent 
extending  his  generous  hospitality  to  the  nurse  and 
doctor  indelinitely. 

Our  lirst  run  took  us  to  Red  Bay,  where  we  at 
once  were  among  friends  of  last  year.  Alas,  poverty 
and  want  had  laid  their  hands  heavily  on  this 
place,  and  some  families  had  been  nearly  naked 
and  next  door  to  starving  all  winter.  Not  only 
had    1892    been   a   poor    lishery,   but    now    the   best 


*  J'    .  i'  ny 


OT'R  srcoxn  SF.isn.y 


1 1 


chance  for  iSq;;,  vj^.  the  e.iplin  school  of  cod,  had 
come  and  gone,  while  densely  packed  i\c,  held  in 
by  persistent  easterly  winds,  had  prevented  the  men 
getting  their  nets  out. 


1  I 


,i^ 


'  I 


A  NcwIounUlanJcr's  Hut,  Labrador. 


CHAPTER   XI 


OUR    VOYAGE   COXT/.YUED 


ON  our  arrival  in  a  harbour  our  method  was,  as 
last  year,  to  hoist  our  blue  lla,^-  to  announce  our 
arrival,  to  then  visit  any  seriously  siek  I  could  hear 
of,  alter  which  we  had  evenin.i^-  service  in  a  shed, 
stage,  or  house,  and  then,  last  of  all,  any  could  come 
for  advice  or  assistance.  To  every  family  or  vessel 
a  good  bundle  of  reading  was  given  if  they  wished 
it,  all  the  literature  being  selected  at  home  as  healthy 
and  suitable  for  lishermen.  If  any  wanted  God's 
Word,  that,  too,  was  to  be  h;id  for  asking  for  it; 
while  a  register  was  kept  of  all  the  poor,  describing 
as  [iccurately  as  we  could  the  nature  of  the  needs 
and  deserts  of  each  case,  in  order  that  when,  at  the 
end  of  the  year,  we  divided  up  the  warm  clothing 


Il4 


ovR  voYAcr.  coxrrxrr/) 


n.') 


^vc  had  brouLiht  out,  it  shoulJ  fall  into  tlu'  hands  of 
the  mo>t  iKsii-virm.  In  this  way  also  w-  Ix-camo 
posst'ssL'tl  ol  a  yaluabk'  i\'roi\l  lor  ruturc  ivlc'ivncc. 
Thus  in  one  house  when  visitinpf  a  rase,  f  lounti  my 
patient  to  be  the  mothei"  of  Ji  lai'.m-  family.  'I'he  poor 
thinu-,  who,  with  self-saerilieinii'  eoura.n'e,  had  refused 
to  believe  herself  ill  till  she  could  ^et  about  no 
more,  was  lyinu,'  on  one  single  wood  form  in  a  bare 
and  dirty  room,  her  head  elose  to  an  old  eracked 
stove,  behind  whieh  a  crowd  of  shivering-  urchins 
were  huddled  together.  The  sickness  was  acute 
bronchitis  and  pleurisy,  made  worse  by  little  cloth- 
inu,'  and  less  food.  A  han'uard  man  meanwhile 
was  pacing-  up  and  down,  nursing"  a  screaming-  and 
hungry  baby.  I  pulled  the  children  out  from  behind 
the  stove  for  inspection;  but  their  rai;s  so  failed  to 
cover  them,  that  each  hastened  back  at  once  after 
the  ordeal  to  the  seclusion  jmd  warmth  iuhind  the 
old  stove.  The  complete  attire  of  one  bony  little  mite 
was  an  old  trouser  le^',  into  which  he  was  packed 
like  a  sack.     All  were  idikc  barefooted. 

Staying  here  over  vSunday,  I  was  the  guest  of  a  La- 
brador fisherman,  rather  better  off  than  the  miijority, 
an  erect,  gre3'-haired  man  of  .about  forty-live,  stand- 
ing some  six  feet  two  inches.  His  cottage,  built  with 
his  own  hands,  was  a  pattern  of  neatness  and  clean- 
liness, but  the  bad  seasons  were  compelling  even 
him  to  desert  the  harbour,  and  try  squatting  farther 
along  the  coast.  lie  was  still  the  fortunate  pos- 
sessor, how"e^er,  of  a  cod-trap  (value  about  £80),  by 


■ 


i 


i^-  ? 


^v 


! 

U  ! 


'J 


r 


1 


;■    I 


116 


V/h'fXCS   OF    TO-DAY 


means  of  which  he  still  hoped  to  end  the  year  out 
ofdebi.  lie  was  the  class  leader  lor  the  nei,i;hbour- 
hood,  and  had  many  years  been  standing"  on  the 
Lord's  side,  and,  indeed,  after  the  Wesleyan  .Mission- 
ary tor  the  Straits,  he  was  the  backbone  of  the 
religious  life  of  the  place.  Such  an  one,  where 
every  detail  of  one's  life  is  known,  must  indeed  be 
an  "  Epistle  read  of  all  men,"  of  which  fact  he  was 
well  aware,  as  also,  that  his  neighbours,  while  unable 
or  undesirous  to  read  God's  word  for  themselves, 
measured  the  claims  of  God  on  their  own  life  very 
largely  by  his  actions.  This  we  found  to  obtain 
more  or  less  along  the  whole  coast,  especially  among 
these  scattered  communities,  where  little  or  no  pro- 
vision is  made  for  their  spiritual  needs.  "When 
therefore  Sunday  morning  broke,  and  a  large  iceberg 
\\as  noticed  drifting  towards  his  cod-trap,  threaten- 
ing to  deprive  him  of  his  means  of  earning  his  daily 
bread,  he  at  lirst  decided  to  go  and  spend  the  day 
working  to  save  his  net.  But  soon  he  came  back, 
saying,  "Txe  decided  not  to  go,  doctor;  there  are 
those  in  this  harbour  that  only  want  a  pretext  for 
working  on  the  Lord's  Day,  and  I'll  not  be  the  one 
to  give  it  them."  As  we  climbed  the  hill  to  the 
little  w^ooden  chapel  I  noticed  him  standing  and 
greeting  the  people  as  they  came  along,  according 
to  his  custom,  as  if  forgetful  of  the  fact  that  the 
mass  of  ice  was  at  that  moment  probably  robbing 
him  of  his  all.  We  had  three  S2^ch  services  that 
day ;  the  Wesleyan  missionary,  the  Rev.  John  Sidey, 


;! 


i; 


"7 


li 


OUR    VOYAGE  COXTINUED 


119 


was  present,  and  more  than  one  of  our  hearts  were 
full  at  the  evidence  of  the  reality  of  God's  Spirit 
among-  this  out-of-the-way,  isolated  people.  Long 
before  sunrise  on  Monday,  indeed  immediately  after 
midnight,  my  good  host  was  away  in  his  boat  after 
the  wreck  of  his  cod-trap,  and  by  breakfast  had 
returned,  his  lace  radiant  with  the  same  happy  smile 
he  always  has,  saying,  "  I  kncvj  it  would  be  all  right, 
doctor.  The  worst  of  the  ice  passed  outside  it ;  a 
few  hours'  work,  and  we  shall  get  it  all  right  again." 

In  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle  we  visited  all  the 
stations  to  Old  Ford  Island,  about  100  miles  from 
the  entrance.  At  L'Anse  au  Loup,  Blanc  Sablon 
(the  boundary  between  Canada  and  Newfoundland), 
and  at  Bonne  Esperance,  Ave  found  large  stations 
for  fishing,  with  numbers  of  men  hard  at  work  at 
the  caplin  school.  We  had  quite  a  number  of 
surgical  and  medical  cases,  including  two  of  true 
(sailor's)  scurvy  from  want  of  proper  food.  At  one 
place  we  were  called  to  operate  on  the  ixick  of  a 
French  settler,  at  another  on  the  arm  of  a  poor 
Newfoundland  schooner-man.  In  this  last  case  I 
had  the  assistance  of  a  Roman  Catholic  priest  who 
was  journeying  along  the  coast. 

While  visiting  in  b'orteau  J^ay  we  passed  close  to 
the  wreck  of  II. M.S.  Lily.  We  found  here  that  a 
Beaver  line  steamer,  the  s.s.  Lake  iXcpigoJi,  had 
recently  run  ashore.  While  journeying  down  the 
straits  she  had  struck  on  a  whale-back  iceberg, 
and  was   sinking  head    foremost,   like  the    Victoria^ 


\ 


i 


H 


s\ 


I    I' 


1  % 


«.  ,l, 


11  ii 


120 


VIKINGS  OF   TODAY 


when  her  captain  succeeded  in  grounding;'  her  on 
one  of  the  few  bits  of  sand  for  miles.  Her  screw 
and  rudder  were  practically  out  of  water  when  she 
took  the  bottom,  with  her  bows  in  27  feet.  The 
doctor  aboard  had  spent  three  days  on  shore  near, 
and  had  operated  on  one  cancer  of  the  lip  and  on  an 
old  compound  dislocation  of  the  wrist  in  a  young 
girl.  These  came  to  us  to  have  the  stitches  re- 
moved. 

While  returning  from  visiting  a  patient  at  Greenly 
Island  in  thick  fog,  we  were  unfortunate  enough  to 
run  the  Princess  May  ashore.  It  was  as  dark  as 
pitch  at  the  time,  and  we  had  burnt  all  our  flares 
out  while  threading  our  way  through  a  quantity  of 
schooners  at  anchor.  Two  men  on  the  bows  of  the 
boat,  after  a  long  pause  to  search  for  some  guid- 
ance, had  just  given  the  word  "all  right  ahead," 
when  we  ran  up  on  a  flat-topped  rock,  and  found 
that  high,  almost  perpendicular,  cliffs  were  only  a 
few  yards  ahead.  Throwing  out  our  dinge}-,  and 
removing  all  superfluous  weight  from  the  bows,  we 
succeeded  shortly  in  getting  off;  and  guided  by  the 
stentorian  shouts  of  some  men  from  a  schooner, 
alternating  with  their  fog-horn,  we  found  our  way 
alongside  and  made  fast  to  her.  As  we  were  too 
many  even  to  lie  down  on  the  launch  I  went  aboard 
the  schooner,  the  hospitable  skipper  of  which  in- 
sisted on  my  turning  into  his  bunk.  He  was  only 
just  back,  apparently,  with  a  load  of  fish  from  his 
traps,  and  hearing  the  echo  of  our  voices  from  the 


OUR    VOYAGE  COXTIXi'ED 


121 


clilTs  had  guessed  sonuthini;'  was  v.roriLi'.  He  added, 
"  there  is  lish  to  be  had  now,  and  so  I  don't  turn 
in  at  all  myself"  ;  and  sure  enoutih,  after  a  shake 
down  and  some  supper  he  and  his  erew  disappeared 
into  the  I'o^iiv  darkness  for  a  fresh  load  from  the 
trap,  while  sleep  reii^ned  supreme  on  board.  He 
turned  out  to  be  a  green-lish  catcher,  who  was 
"making"  his  lish  on  his  vessel. 

l'\irther  aloni;-  the  straits,  at  Honne  Esperance,  we 
met  with  a  more  serious  mishap,  for  while  returninu, 
from  a  \isit  uj)  Salmon  Iviver  our  jiropeller  refused 
to  rotate,  and  we  had  to  depend  on  our  sail.  The 
kindness  of  the  hrst  enL>ineer  of  n  sealini^  steamer 
(Mr.  William  Grossman j  anchored  in  the  harbour 
set  us  all  rii.»ht  again,  however,  for  he  made  us  a 
complete  set  of  new  steel  screws  for  our  piston-top 
— our  own  had  given  out,  and  we  neither  had  means 
of  making  new  ones,  or  replacing  them,  in  Labrador. 
After  one  or  two  other  similar  mishaps,  but  having 
treated  some  one  hundred  and  fifty  patients,  and 
having  received  much  kindness  and  a  warm  wel- 
come wherever  we  had  been,  we  reached  l^attle 
Hospital  again  on  the  J()th  of  July.  We  brought  a 
dying  tisherman  the  last  80  miles  with  us,  which 
necessitated  his  sleeping  three  nights  in  my  cabin. 
He  was  still  in  the  prime  of  life,  but  pneumonia 
developed  into  gangrene  of  the  lungs,  and  he  subse- 
quently died  in  Battle  Harbour  Hospital. 

The  Sunday  passed  pleasantly  and  rapidly  among 
the  people  here.     After  evening  service,  held  by  t'..e 


■i 


!:  ■  I' 


1-!^ 


If 


1^1 


in 


r 

i 
t 


:| 


1 


<i 


HI 


I'M 


1 22 


VIKINGS   OF   TO-DAY 


•d    good 


schoolmaster  in  ilic  little  church,  we  hud 
"  lishermen's  meeting."  Dr.  l^ohardt  was  away  all 
day  visitinj[(  sick  people  on  a  neighbouring  island, 
and  holdini;-  service  [imoni;-  them.  x\o  patients  were 
yet  allowed  in  hospital,  though  it  now  only  remained 
to  cover  the  floors  and  get  the  stores  in.  Sister 
Carwardine  had  therefore  arranged  lor  the  nursing 
of  one  poor  woman,  on  whom  an  operation  had  been 
necessary,  in  a  room  of  a  cottage  near  at  hand. 

As  the  mail  steamer  was  shortly  expected,  and 
would  certainly  bring  patients  for  the  hospital,  the 
following  day  was  spent  by  all  htinds  in  rendering 
the  hospital  inhtibitable;  and  by  evening  our  first 
patient  \vas  comfortably  lociited  in  a  room  on  the 
ground  floor,  while  the  sister  spent  her  first  night 
in  hospital  in  an  arm-chair. 

Next  day,  before  leaving  for  the  north,  Dr.  Bobardt 
again  being  away  visiting,  I  was  called  on  to  bury 
a  poor  fellow,  father  of  a  family  of  five,  who  had 
died  from  consumption  in  a  neighbouring  cove.  The 
burial-ground  is  a  small  plot  at  the  bottom  of  a  deep 
ravine  on  the  seaboard  side  of  the  island.  On  each 
side  rose  barren  roclcy  crags,  behind  was  the  bleak 
island  top,  while  in  front  lay  the  great  Atlantic, 
bearing  on  its  heaving  bosom,  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  see,  countless  mighty  icebergs.  As  the  sad 
procession  wound  along  the  defile,  carrying  in  its 
rude  wood  covering  what  was  so  recently  a  living, 
hopeful  human  being ;  as  they  laid  it  in  its  last  long 
resting-place    amidst    t^jse   cold    and    desolate   sur- 


OCR    VOYAGE  CON TlXUr.l) 


ij;; 


ad 


ak 
tic, 


Its 


roundiii.L;s,  the  cravini»"  for  somt'thini;-  beyond  the 
tj;ravc  l-turnt  licrccly  in  every  heart;  while  the  joy 
of  knowing  of  a  Heavenly  Isither,  -who  has  .niven 
us  victory  even  over  the  i^rave,  was  realized  as  a 
priceless  possession  which  the  world  cannot  give 
— no,  nor  sell  either. 

Our  next  object  was  to  visit  the  coast  up  to  Indian 
Harbour,  calling  for  coal  and  a  few  supplies  left  for 
us  half-way  up  by  the  Albert,  at  a  place  called 
Bateau.  In  making  a  narrow  inlet  called  Francis 
Harbour,  we  found  much  ditficulty  in  getting  in;  for 
after  long  searching  for  the  entrance,  it  proved  to 
be  blocked  with  ice,  and  a  circuitous  method  inside 
an  island  w^as  unknown  to  us.  However,  once  inside 
the  warmth  of  our  welcome  made  up  for  the  sus- 
pense outside,  and  after  service  in  the  neat  and 
commodious  parlour  of  the  agent's  (Mr.  Penny; 
house,  we  had  a  Icice  of  sick  visitors  till  midnight. 
AVe  next  entered  a  deep  narrow  cleft  in  a  high 
mountain,  running  parallel  with  the  sea,  nowhere 
wider  than  a  stone's  throw.  It  is  very  deep,  and 
higli  hills  of  bright  red  rocks  rise  abruptly  on  both 
hands.  On  the  outer  side  are  perched  houses  and 
fishing  stages.  This  is  known  as  Venison  Tickle. 
The  agent  (Mr.  Hawker)  received  us  most  warmly, 
and  being  himself  doctor,  parson,  planter,  and  .all 
combined,  took  me  round  at  once  to  the  various  sick 
and  injured.  One  poor  old  fisherman,  suffering  from 
apoplectic  paralysis,  we  sent  to  hospital  at  IJattle, 
though  we  learnt  from  a  schooner  that  already  it 
was  nearly  full. 


/ 


M 


ii 


\m 


m 


m 


i 


!l 


^1  ^ 


t   i 


124 


VIKINGS  OF   TO-DA  Y 


L^indin.2^  on  a  low  island  as  we  passed  north,  we 
found  the  eider-duck  nesting  in  considerable  numbers, 
while  in  the  little  pools  among  the  rocks  were  young 
ducks  and  young  gulls  in  numbers.  Of  the  latter 
we  caught  several  for  our  stew-pot.  We  steamed 
thence  fifteen  miles  to  J^oulter's  Rock  Phirbour  by  a 
long  narrow  channel  inside  two  enormous  islands, 
the  passage  being  known  as  Squasho  Run.  Fog 
succeeded  fog  all  jilong  this  part  of  the  coast,  and  it 
was  only  by  the  help  of  volunteer  local  pilots  we 
succeeded  in  linding  many  of  the  harbours. 

One  dark  night,  unable  to  lind  our  way  further, 
we  dropped  our  anchor  inside  some  outlying  islands 
called  Seal  Islands.  It  seemed  to  us  that  we  had 
hardly  got  straight  and  settled  down  for  the  night's 
rest  before  we  heard  a  boat  bumping  against  our 
side.  In  such  a  lonely  place,  and  in  a  thick  drizzly 
fog  at  night,  ii  superstitious  person  might  well  have 
started.  Soon  we  heard  the  soft  tread  of  a  mocassin 
over  the  half-inch  boarding  which,  covered  with 
painted  canvas,  served  us  as  a  roof ;  then  a  bustling 
at  the  hatchway  door,  and  soon  the  broad  face  of  a 
half-breed  Eskimo  peered  into  the  cabin.  It  appeared 
he  had  a  very  sick  daughter  at  his  hut  on  the  island, 
near  which  no  doctor  ever  went.  He  had  heard  of 
the  Princess  May  being  about ;  and  seeing  our  cabin 
lights  shining  as  he  chanced  to  pass  in  his  boat 
homewards,  he  had  come  in  search  of  assistance. 
Soon,  swathed  in  oilskins,  I  was  sitting  in  the  stern 
of  his  boat,  while  he   swiftly  rowed  away  into  the 


OUR    VOYACE  CON TlSri-l) 


•J 


darkness.  Landini;,  and  tbllowini;  rlosi-ly  behind  him 
over  broken  rock  for  some  quarter  mik\  broiijL;lU  me 
to  his  eottajL;e,  whieh,  in  true  Labrador  fashion,  was 
well  hlled  with  inhabitants.  Amoni;-  them  I  lound 
two  seriously  ill,  one  a  younii;  man  of  ei.t^hteen,  the 
other  a  yount;-  married  woman  of  about  thirl}'.  On 
this  poor  woman  it  was  necessary  to  operate  on  our 
way  south  in  order  to  save  life  even  for  the  time ; 
but  as  we  had  no  hospital  open  in  winter,  she  had 
to  be  left  in  that  crowded  hut  to  the  tender  mercies 
of  the  most  unskilled  of  nurses,  and  thou,L;h  any 
communication  with  the  island  has  been  impossible 
since,  1  fear  she  will  not  have  survived  the  winter.^ 
I  was  one  day  asked,  a  little  further  north,  to  visit 
a  woman  reported  to  have  been  ill  in  bed  for  three 
months,  and  who  was  living  up  a  bay  fully  ten 
miles  from  any  fishing  station.  At  length,  dropping 
our  anchor  off  the  spot  indicated,  which  was  the 
mouth  of  a  large  salmon  riv'cr,  we  blew  our  whistle 
repeatedly  to  try  and  attract  her  husband's  atten- 
tion. After  some  time  a  small  boat  put  out  with 
one  man  sculling  in  the  stern.  He  seemed  to  ap- 
proach warily,  and  the  miin  piloting  me  took  in  the 
situation  in  a  moment.  As  soon  as  the  small  boat 
was  alongside,  he  greeted  the  oarsman  with  "  It's  all 
up ;  come  aboard  and  surrender  quietly,  or  you  will 
be  shot  dow^n."  The  condemning  reply  came  back, 
"  Indeed,  sir,  the  river  isn't  barred.      It  couldn't  be 

^  1895.     She  has  perfectly  recovered,  in  the  most  marvellous  manner. 
— W.  T.  G. 


I 


I 


I  I 


H 


126 


VJKI\GS   OF    TO-DAY 


barred.  No  nets  would  hold  across  it.  It  never  has 
been  barred.  I  wouldn't  bar  the  river,  ^'ou  can 
come  and  see  for  yourself*."  We  ftot  into  his  boat, 
and  he  started  with  us  to  the  shore,  when  I  asked 
him  if  the  launch  was  safe  at  her  anchorai^e,  as 
darkness  was  coming  on.  The  prompt  reply  was 
that  she  would  be  a,nround  on  rocks  at  low  water, 
and  that  we  had  better  steam  across  the  inlet  and 
anchor  the  other  side,  where  it  was  soft  and  £;ood 
hoIdin,2:  j:cround,  at  which  our  engineer  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  g;Qt  steam  a,u,ain.  On  landing',  I  asked  for 
the  sick  woman,  and  was  shown  into  the  most  miser- 
able dark  hovel  I  ever  saw.  I'y  a  wretched  tin  chim- 
neyless  lamp  I  examined  my  patient.  vShe  was  lyiniL^ 
clad  in  one  old  petticoat  on  a  few  sacks  spread  over 
a  kind  of  built-up  bunk.  Her  bodily  ailments  were 
fortunately  not  great,  but  as  she  told  me,  Jind  I 
believe  truthfully,  havini;"  no  clothes  to  get  up  m, 
she  was  obliged  to  stay  where  she  was.  Turning 
to  go  out,  I  stumbled  over  our  boatman,  who  at  once 
commenced  most  profuse  apologies.  It  appears  he 
was  just  off  to  destroy  his  "bar,"  when  my  pilot 
had  told  him  I  was  not  an  excise  officer,  and  the 
Princess  May  was  not  a  gunboat.  So  he  went  off  to 
tell  the  engineer  the  anchorage  was  good  enough. 
I  fear  that  is  not  the  only  barred  salmon  river  in 
Labrador. 

Further  north  we  steamed  up  Sandwich  Bay,  and 
visited,  among  other  places,  Cartwright,  now  a 
Hudson    Bay    post,    but  founded  about   1790  by  an 


OUR  ynvAGF.  cnxnxcrn 


T27 


En^ii^h  trador  of  that  nam;'.  I  K-iv  a,i;ain  wc  liad  ii 
serious  case  to  ck-al  willi.  A  uirl  ot'  foiirtt't'ii  liad 
been  ill  with  inlern;il  abs(::ess  for  Ix'twccn  two  and 
three  yeiirs.  She  wiis  sent  to  ho  pital  alter  ;i  tri- 
(linp;  operation,  and  remained  there  a  month.  When 
I  returned  south  I  found  her  well  and  happy,  and 
she  told  me  she  was  only  sorry  she  could  not  live  in 
hospital. 

I  was  interested  in  examining-  at  Cartwrii^ht  a 
marble  tomb,  raised,  as  the  inscription  proclaimed, 
"to  commemorate  the  piety  and  zeal  of  the  founder 
of  this  colony."  Some  humble  lichens  had,  in  the 
course  of  time,  j^rown  in  between  the  slabs,  and 
with  irresistible  power  had  forced  them  open,  re- 
vealini;-  to  the  pryinc^  ej'e  within  not  the  crumbling;- 
dust  of  the  departed  trader,  but  a  mi,L;hty  demijohn 
of  rum,  no  doubt  made  niellow  by  lont;-  ye;irs  of 
waitin.i;-.  Alas!  th;it  there  are  those  to-day  whose 
memory  would  be  most  aptly  treasured  by  such  an 
epip^ram,  whom  in  life,  for  their  riches'  sake,  a 
blinded  world  "delights  to  honour." 

We  were  now  only  two  hands  on  the  launch,  the 
engineer  and  myself,  for  our  steward  had  returned 
to  Battle  Hospital.  We  were  therefore  anxious  to 
push  ahead,  and  on  August  loth  we  were  glad  to 
run  into  Indian  Harbour,  and  ag;iin  "bring  to" 
alongside  the  Albert.  We  found  to  our  sorrow  that 
bad  weather  had  prevented  the  landing  of  our  hos- 
pital till  a  month  after  we  had  expected;  and,  though 
all  available  hands  had  been  at  ^vork,  it  was  found 


I,  i| 


I'H 


u 


i?     ; 


128 


VIK/XCS   OF    TO- DAY 


impossible  to  m-vnipy  it  this  season.  AN'c  tlu'ivforc 
dccick'tl,  as  soon  as  tiu'  sIk'II  was  linisluJ  and  all 
tlonr  that  coiikl  Ix-  without  ruitini;"  the  i-hinineys,  to 
noarJ  u\^  the  windows,  store  the  |ii-operty  in  it,  and 
leave  it  lor  the  winter  under  cai'e  of  the  nearest 
"  Livyere."  Meanwhile  Dr.  Curwen  and  Nurse 
Williams  would  remain  on  the  Albert,  and  use  it  as 
their  hospital.  This  place  is  the  centre  of  a  very 
lar^e  number  of  stations,  and  they  had  already  found 
/  ample  scope  for  work,  just  before  we  left  in  the 
Pi'incess  M(i\\  both  doctor  and  sister  were  summoned 
over  the  iskand  to  treat  a  woman  on  whom  a  fish 
sta^c  had  fallen,  while  they  already  had  in  the  ship's 
hospital  a  young-  girl  dying  of  consumption.  The 
condition  in  which  some  of  our  patients  were  when 
lirst  admitted  was  horrible ;  the  condition  of  the 
women  from  the  green-lish  catchers  especially ; 
for  \<\\.\\  scarcely  any  privacy,  and  scarcely  any 
opportunities  for  washing,  it  was  not  to  be  won- 
dered at  that  vermin  often  abounded.  The  experi- 
ence of  both  our  nurses  tallied  in  this  respect,  and 
a  good  wash,  clean  clothes,  and  a  few  days'  nursing 
always  appeared  to  work  marvels,  even  in  appar- 
ently hopeless  cases.  When  it  bedime  evident  that 
this  poor  girl  must  die,  she  expressed  her  determi- 
nation to  go  home  by  the  lirst  opportunity,  that,  if 
possible,  she  might  reach  her  family  in  Newfoundland 
before  the  end  came. 

It    was    ten  o'clock  at    night,   and    a    blustering 
evening  in  Cape  Webeck   Harbour,  when   we   next 


or/i'  loy.icr.  com/m'/  /) 


ij') 


mot  llij  mail  steamer  [X'jin;^  soutli.  Witli  miu  h 
dittieulty  we  ^ot  our  poor  patient  into  the  l^oal, 
wrapped  over  .md  over  in  clean  blanktis;  two  ot  us 
in  the  stern  sheets  holdinp:  the  lari;.*  bundle  in  our 
arms,  while  Captain  Trezise  and  his  men  rowed  us 
c!owii  the  harbour.  Gettin.ti:  her  up  the  steamer's 
side  was,  however,  a  still  less  easy  task,  but  was 
al  last  accomplished,  and  she  was  soon  ensconced 
m  a  bunk  in  the  saloon.  Fortunately  we  had 
decided  that  Nurse  Williams  should  now  return  to 
Rattle  Harbour  to  help  Nurse  Carwardine,  for  the 
hospital  there  was  now  overflowinp^  into  huts  around, 
and  our  in-patients  could  be  kept  down  to  one  or 
two.  The  nurse  therefore  was  able  to  tend  to  her 
wants  during  the  journey  dow^n.  Eventually  she 
reached  St.  Johns,  where  the  Rev.  Dr.  Harvey  most 
kindly  met  her,  got  her  to  the  train  and  off  to  her 
home;  so  that  her  last  wish  was  gratilied,  and  s.hc' 
passed  away  peacefully  among  her  loved  ones. 

At  Cape  Harrison  we  had  a  really  hot  .Sunday, 
the  flat  cabin  reflecting  the  sun  so  fiercely  from  the 
water  that  our  very  paint  began  to  blister.  vSuch  a 
chance  was  not  to  be  lost,  and  the  (isherfolk  gjithered 
from  far  and  near.  One  company,  who  journeyed 
from  their  schooner  in  King's  Arm,  must  have  tra- 
velled some  ten  miles  to  us,  rowing  lirst  to  Sloop 
Harbour,  then  walking  over  the  high  cape,  and  then 
rowing  again  to  Webeck  Island  ;  while  even  as  we 
went  to  and  fro  from  the  meetings,  which,  owing  to 
the  numbers,  we  w^re  obliged  to  hold  on  the  shore. 


!  I 


'k 


130 


VIKIXGS    OF    TO-DAY 


1'^ 


we  heard  sounds  of  hymns  and  prayinc;'  from  some 
of  the  mud  huts  wc  passed.  It  'vas  a  day  indeed 
to  be  remembered.  Our  longest  single  expedition 
during  this  time  had  been  to  the  Hudson  Bay  post 
of  Rigoulette,  up  Hamilton  inlet,  some  fifty  milef 
from  the  entrance.  Here  we  had  several  patients; 
and  especially  one  little  lad  with  a  diseased  bone  in 
the  leg — part  of  this  it  was  necessary  to  remove. 
At  the  operation  we  were  ably  helped  by  the  ,vife  of 
the  agent  (Mr.  Wilson i-,  who  proved  herself  a  most 
able  nurse  and  assistant.  The  difference  of  tempera- 
ture up  this  long  inlet  is  very  marked,  and  we  found 
the  children  of  the  house  actually  picnicing  outside 
the  hut  in  a  canvas  tent. 


.'  iji  '   '   • ! 


The  s.s.  Princess  May  in  Merchantman  Harbour. 

CHAPTER   XII 

CONCLUSION  OF  SECOND    VOYAGE 

OUR  next  mcctinp,-  with  the  Albert  was  arranged 
lor  ITopedale,  the  first  station  of  the  Moravian 
brethren.  In  the  meanwhile  we  visited  such  harbours 
as  Ironbound  Island,  Ragj-ed  Islands,  Roger's  Harbour, 
Long-  Island,  Ailik,  Turiavik,  and  Winsor  H;irbour. 
Again  we  had  one  or  two  serious  cases :  one  poor 
fellow  with  cancer  of  the  gullet ;  one  from  whom  it 
was  necessary  to  amputate  two  lingers,  atid  from 
another  one  linger.  While  at  Winsor  Harbour,  we 
decided  to   visit   an   off-lying  island,  called  "Double 

Island,"  from  which  the  Ilopcdale  Eskimo  had  their 

131 


-I 


'I 


132 


VIKINGS   OF    TO-DAY 


I; 


I  i 


summer  nshcr3\  Lafortunjitcly  it  is  not  even  in- 
dicated on  the  charts,  and  missing  our  way  to  it  we 
got  entangled  among  a  series  of  reefs.  At  sundown 
a  strong  northerly  wind  arose,  making  the  water 
boil  in  foaming  breakers  over  the  shallow  patches. 
This  however  in  reality  assisted  us,  for  we  were 
thus  able  to  avoid  the  hidden  dangers,  as  any 
shallow  likely  to  pick  up  the  Princess  May  w^as  now 
a  white  seething  mass ;  indeed,  I  have  found  places 
where  w^e  saw  the  water  break  as  deep  as  five  to 
fifteen  fathoms.  We  had  decided  at  last  to  "  heave 
to  "  under  the  lee  of  an  island,  keeping  steam  all 
night  for  fear  of  a  shift  of  wind,  when  through  our 
glasses  we  descried  against  the  horizon  a  ragged 
tent.  Steering  for  this  we  soon  descried  figures  of 
some  of  the  little  people  skurrying  to  and  fro  after 
their  fish  as  fast  as  they  could  go,  for  the  sky 
looked  threatening,  and  they  did  not  wish  the  fish 
to  get  wet  again.  Our  steam  w^histle  at  once  caught 
their  attention,  and  soon  two  of  their  little  boats 
came  shooting  out  through  the  surf. 

With  their  help  we  were  safely  moored  fore  and 
aft  in  a  little  narrow  creek,  and  a  few  minutes 
later  saw  us  ashore.  Amongst  them  we  noticed 
many  friends  of  last  year,  especially  a  dear  old  man, 
a  sort  of  Christian  father  among  them,  named 
Daniel.  A  profuse  hand-shaking  and  welcoming  en- 
sued, and  then  they  intimated  they  wished  me  to 
come  up  to  one  of  their  tents.  My  Eskimo  was 
\  exhausted,  however,  with    Auchenai — How    do  you 


COXCLUSIOX   OF  SECOND    VOYAGE 


TOO 


do?  (or,  literally,  Be  ye  strong?),  and  Aila,  j'es,  and 
a  few  other  every.-day  expressions.  When,  there- 
fore, I  ^vas  siCt  down  on  a  low  box  in  the  tent, 
with  a  space  in  front  of  me  for  the  patients  to 
squat,  and  the  rest  of  the  ground  available  densely 
packed  with  Esquimaux,  I  was  confronted  with  the 
difticulties  of  a  veterinary  surgeon.  Among  other 
things  a  toe,  frost-bitten  last  winter,  had  to  be  re- 
moved; apparently  not  such  a  painful  operation  as 
one  might  have  supposed  at  hrst,  and  one  in  which 
the  patient  appeared  to  take  a  personal  interest,  from 
the  proud  fact  that  she  occupied  on  that  account 
the  position  of  most  importance. 

At  Hopedale  I  left  the  Albert  again,  and,  joined 
by  one  of  the  Moravian  Brethren — a  Dane  (Rev.  P. 
Hansen),  proceeded  at  once  further  north.  Together 
we  visited  as  far  as  Okkak,  though  the  entire  ab- 
sence of  charts,  and  the  innumerable  islands  and 
labyrinths,  made  us  more  than  once  end  up  in  a 
blind  tickle.  At  Zoar  we  deposited  our  deck  cargo 
of  coal,  piling  up  wood  on  our  cabin  top  instead, 
and  lashing  a  ladder  against  our  foremast,  from  the 
top  of  which  in  the  clear  water  it  was  possible  to 
see  rocks  in  time  to  avoid  them.  We  passed  on  our 
way  immense  flocks  of  water-fowi.  While  in  places 
the  rocks  shine  with  the  beautiful  blue  or  yellow 
sheen  of  the  Labrador  felspar,  the  trees  get  perceptibly 
fewer  and  smaller  as  Okkak  is  approached,  the 
shrubs  more  stunted,  and  the  berries  mo/e  scarce, 
until  north  of  Hebron  no  trees  at  all  are  found. 


* 


I' 


■ '  'I 


i;i 


IB 

'I 


■ 


I 


i' 


h  ij 


?  ' 


'  '• 


i  I 


134 


VIKI.\GS   OF   TO-DAY 


With  much  pcrscvenmce  and  labour  the  brethren 
at  each  station  raise  a  few  potatoes,  cabbages  and 
flowers,  but  when  trees  are  cut  down  for  wood  they 
do  not  replace  themselves  in  a  man's  lifetime.  It 
is  impossible  in  these  pages  to  recount  all  the  in- 
cidents of  this  part  of  the  trip.  At  each  station  I 
had  numerous  patients — Eskimo  and  white.  In  the 
former  cases  my  dear  friend  and  whilom  companion 
the  Rev.  P.  Hansen,  interpreted.  At  each  station 
also  we  gathered  daily  for  praj'er  and  exhortation, 
and  for  me  the  time  passed  all  too  quickly.  Now, 
however,  the  approach  of  winter  was  making  itself 
felt.  Schooners  were  flying  south  before  every 
favourable  breeze,  and  in  so  small  a  boat  as  the 
Princess  May  no  unnecessary  delay  was  advisable. 
On  the  8th  of  September  Ave  again  reached  Hope- 
dale,  and  were  surprised  to  find  the  Albert  still 
there. 

•  A  terrible  tragedy  had  occurred  in  a  neigh- 
bouring inlet.  It  appeared  some  men  fishing,  from 
an  island  called  East  Turnavik,  had  gone  up 
to  boil  their  tea-kettle  at  a  solitary  house  on  a 
promontory  of  Kipekok  Ba3\  On  entering  they  at 
first  found  no  one  at  hom.e,  but  during  the  process 
of  tea-making  came  across  two  women  lying  on  the 
floor  of  the  passage  covered  over  with  a  counter- 
pane. At  first  they  thought  they  were  merely  en- 
joying an  afternoon  sleep,  but  soon  found  both  were 
dead ;  hereupon  they  at  once  beat  a  hasty  retreat 
to  their  own  island,  and  next  day  came  back  with 


CONCLUSIOX   OF  SECOXD    VOYAGE 


o.) 


; 


; 


half  a  dozen  more  men  and  the  planter.  A  search 
revealed  two  more  dead  women  in  an  inner  room, 
while  no  trace  of  the  two  men  who  lived  there 
could  be  found. 

Next  day,  however,  thc3c  returned  with  wood  from 
the  bay,  sayinj;  they  had  been  away  making  coftins 
for  the  last  four  days.  The  circumstances  were  so 
suspicious^  and  one  of  the  men  bore  such  an  ex- 
ceedingly bad  character  on  the  coast— having  been 
suspected  of  deeds  as  dark  before — that  the  two 
neighbouring  planters  advised  an  inquiry,  and  sent 
up  their  steahi  launch  to  Hopedale  for  Dr.  Curwen 
to  come  and  make  an  examination.  From  the  evi- 
dence taken  from  the  men,  and  the  general  appear- 
ances of  the  case,  he  was  convinced  they  had  died 
of  poisoning.  Eventually  the  head  of  the  police 
was  sent  down  from  St.  Johns,  and,  confessing  to 
another  crime,  the  worst  of  the  two  men  was  taken 
away  and  placed  in  Harbour  Grace  Jail  for  the 
winter. 

Whilst  endeavouring  one  night  to  navigate  a 
narrow  passage  known  as  "  the  Rattle,"  the  Priti- 
cess  May  had  been  suddenly  caught  by  the  current, 
and  at  full  speed  taken  a  rocky  bottom.  The 
tide  was  falling  at  the  time,  and  all  hopes  of 
getting  off  before  morning  had  to  be  abandoned. 
Our  ladder  and  some  large  blocks  of  wood  lashed 
together  were  therelore  placed  under  her  port  bilge, 
and  she  was  listed  over  on  to  them  by  all  the  move- 
able weights  we  had.  *  After  a  very  uneasy  night, 


V 


m 


I!    I 


I 


136 


VtKIXCS   OP    TO-DAY 


vy 


which  fortunately  held  calm,  wc  f;ot  safely  off.  It 
was  necessary  now  to  inspect  the  launch's  bottom. 
We  therefore  ^rounJed  her  in  Ilopedale  Harbour, 
and  at  low  tide  examined  her  outer  casing.  She 
proved  to  be  nastily  dinted  in  one  or  two  places: 
a    bit   of   her   keel   was   i'one,  and   a    few    inches   of 


'I  t 


cojiper  torn  off  here  Lind  there,  but  her  hull  was 
.;till  as  sound  as  ii  drum.  Not  so  her  shaft.  We 
lound  that  it  had  worn  very  considerably  inside 
the  ])ropeller,  and  the  outer  end  had  *  so  dropped 
that  another  two  inches  and  the  screw  w^ould  be 
unable  to  rotate.  For  this  we  had  no  remedy,  and 
had  nothing  for  it  but  to  "  Go  ahead."  Sunday, 
the  loth  of  September,  we  spent  in  Ilopedale,  the 
harbour  of  which  was  now  crowded  with  no  less 
than  I oo  schooners;  and  though  the  Brethren  put  at 
our  disposal  their  large  chapel,  capable  of  holding 
.some  400  people.  Captain  Trezise  found  it  necessary 
in  the  eveninj'  to  hold  an  overflow  service  on  the 
Albert. 

It  was  v.'ith  no  ordinar}-  feelings  of  sorrow  that 
we  heard  at  Emily  Harbour  that  the  Albert  had 
been  [ishore.  To  think  of  her  splendid  frame  and 
delicate  lines  the  sport  of  these  cruel  jagged  rocks 
was  heartrending.  The  beautiful  little  ship  which 
had  smiled  at  so  many  storms,  and  carried  those  en- 
trusted to  her  so  many  thousands  of  miles  so  faith- 
fully and  safely.  It  appears  she  was  trying  to 
make  West  Turnavik  Harbour  at  night,  and  the 
pilot   who    came  off  from   shore  mistook   the   blind 


I 


»g 


«  7 


m 


«  I  .1 1 .     I 


ri 


I'  i     ■ 
ill     ' 


'i 


I 


!  .t 


A  V" 


t 


COXCLUSTOX   OF  SECOXD    VOYAGE 


139 


0 


entrance  for  the  real  one.  Both  anchors  were  at 
the  time  ready  lor  lettin.u,'  go,  and  the  moment  the 
mistake  was  noticed  were  run  out.  Hut  as  the 
vessel  swuni;-  to,  her  stern  came  down  on  the  rocks, 
and  for  nearly  three  hours  bumped  heavily.  By 
the  help  of  Captain  Bartlett  and  some  sixty  men 
she  was  eventually  warped  safely  off;  but  it  was 
found  necessary,  in  the  dr}'  dock  at  St.  Johns,  to 
replace  35  feet  of  her  keel. 

Rough  weather  characterized  our  journey  south, 
and,  indeed,  often  rendered  it  very  aj'ficult  getting 
round  the  great  capes  at  all.  We  revisited,  where 
possible,  all  the  places  we  visited  going  north,  and 
[dso  others  we  had  been  obliged  to  pass  by.  Thus 
we  saw  again  miiny  of  our  former  patients,  distri- 
buted to  many  the  clothing  we  were  able  to  allot 
them,  and  also  had  the  joy  of  seeing  once  again, 
before  winter  set  in,  some  of  those  who  were  com- 
mencing in  earnest  to  live  consecrated  li^^es.  When 
the  weather  kept  us  longer  than  we  intended  in  a 
harbour,  we  brought  into  use  our  magic  lantern,  for 
which  we  had  some  beautiful  slides  of  the  life  of 
Christ,  Bible  lands,  and  some  simple  stories.  This 
never  failed  to  bring  a  crowd  together,  even  if  sleep- 
ing the  night  in  the  building  became  necessary  for 
those  who  came  from  too  far  to  return ;  and,  indeed, 
we  eventually  often  preceded  our  services  with  the 
views  through  the  magic  lantern. 

On  Thursday,  October  19th,  we  once  more  steamed 
into  Battle  Harbour,  where  we  found  the  Albert  had 


140 


VIKINGS  OF    TO-DAY 


preceded  us  by  a  couple  of  diiys.  Dr.  Hobardt  and 
the  sisters  were  still  busy  and  in  good  health.  Hos- 
pital had  been  full  all  the  time,  and  thirty-nine  in- 
patients had  been  treated.  Only  one  other  death  had 
occurred  in  hospital — a  young  girl  from  a  schooner, 
who  had  died  of  cellulitis  from  neglected  sores,  which 
had  assumed  the  characteristics  of  erysipelas.  We 
were  delighted  to  hear  that  the  fishery  here  had  been 
good.  Mr.  Hall,  the  agent,  had  again  been  first  away 
with  a  steamer  loaded  for  market.  After  all  the 
time  and  attention  he  had  so  generously  bestowed 
on  our  work,  by  lending  the  launch  when  it  could  be 
spared,  by  loan  of  men  for  the  hospital,  by  enter- 
taining nurses,  doctors,  and  others,  we  could  but  re- 
joice that  his  fishery  had  been  a  really  successful 
one.  Our  only  regret  now  was  that  no  hospital 
could  be  kept  open  during  this  winter. 

Bad  weather  prj\ailed  during  our  journey  to  St. 
Johns.  The  Albert^  in  a  gale,  lost  her  boom,  and 
blew  away  some  canvas,  while  the  delays  to  the 
Princess  May  on  that  coast,  where  no  telegraphic 
communication  exists,  gave  rise  to  the  impression 
that  she  was  lost  with  all  hands,  an  impression 
heightened  by  the  fact  that  the  mail  steamer,  which 
had  encountered  the  same  gale  in  the  Straits  of  Belle 
Isle,  had  noticed  in  the  sea  a  small  boat's  flag  and 
flagpole  resembling  ours.  Unfortunately,  therefore, 
it  appeared  in  the  English  dailies  that  we  were  miss- 
ing. Except  losing  a  good  spirit  compass  and  loose 
deck  paraphernalia,  we  had  suffered  no  inconveni- 


1 


COXCLUSIOX   OF   SECOXn    VOYAGE 


141 


enccs.  Indeed,  being  forced  to  shelter  in  so  many 
of  the  small  harbours  along  the  I'reneh  shore,  gave 
us  a  valuable  insight  into  the  lives  of  the  out-harbour 
people  of  Newfoundland,  and  also  the  opportunities 
of  helping  many  who  need  it  quite  as  much  as  do 
some  on  the  Labrador. 

At  Toulinguet,  on  November  3rd,  we  met  our  old 
friend  Captain  Taylor,  of  the  mail  steamer  Vngim'a 
Lake,  who  showed  us  a  written  commission  to  search 
all  the  islands  for  us  between  certain  latitudes. 
Thence  we  wired  our  whereabouts  to  St.  Johns,  but 
we  heard  subsequently  that  that  kindly  office  had 
been  performed  for  us  the  day  previously  by  the 
captain  of  a  schooner,  who  had  passed  us  on  his  way 
south.  The  sealing  steamer  Neptune  gave  us  a  line 
across  Trinity  and  Conception  Bays,  and  so,  on  the 
7th,  w^e  ended  our  cruise  for  1893  in  St.  Johns 
Harbour. 

We  found  St.  Johns  in  the  excitement  of  a  general 
election,  and  it  seemed  as  if  there  was  little  likeli- 
hood of  our  getting  an  audience  to  listen  to  a  report 
of  the  season's  work.  However,  Sir  William  White- 
w\ay  kindly  placed  at  our  disposal  the  "  Star-of-the- 
Sea"  Hall,  and  His  Excellency  Sir  Terence  O'Brien 
consented  to  preside  at  an  evening  meeting.  By  the 
help  of  some  good  friends  in  St.  Johns,  some  of  our 
most  successful  photographic  plates  were  turned  into 
lantern  slides ;  and  not  only  was  the  large  hall  filled 
with  friends  and  sympathisers,  but  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  were  realized  for  the  funds. 


I 


t^ 


142 


VIlvIXCS   OF    TO/). I  V 


The  Albci't  s;iilftl  for  lioiiu',  lia\inL^  on  board  Dr. 
Curwcn  ami  the  two  nurses,  on  Tuesday,  Decem- 
ber 2Slh,  and  after  a  wonderlul  passage,  entered 
(•reat  ^'armouth  Harbour  on  the  tliirte.Mith  day, 
having  aeeomplislied  the  loii^  run  at  an  averai^e 
pr.ee  of  nine  English  miles  or  75  knots  pjr  hour. 


Id  Dr. 

ntt'ivd 
1  day, 
vcra^c 
lOur. 


A  Team  of  Do^s  in  iiariic».-> 


CHAPTER   XIII 


ON  DOGS  AND  DIFFICULTIES 

THE  Esquimaux  doi;-,  unlike  his  Newfoundland 
convener,  is  by  no  means  a  liction,  bein^  an 
ubiquitous  feature  of  Esquimaux  life.  Indeed,  being: 
musical  like  his  master,  his  propensity  for  noeturn;d 
chorus  keeps  him  constantly  in  evidence;  and,  though 
he  is  never  heard  to  bark,  he  manages  often  to  leave 
a  deep  impression  on  an  incautious  stranger. 

On  his  dog's  pluck  and  endurance  the  master's 
safety  often  depends,  and  to  his  marvellous  instinct 
for  finding'  human  habitations  many  a  man,  hope- 
lessly lost  in  a  snowstorm  on  the  icelield,  owes  his 
existence.  Yet  the  Eskimo,  finding  it  ample  trouble 
to  satisfy  his  own  needs,  never  adtis  to  his  trouble 
by  feeding  his  dogs  in  summer  time,  with  (he  result 

X43 


144 


VIKINGS   OF    TO-DAY 


1 1  i. 


that  the  exigencies  of  existence  have  considerably 
sharpened  their  facukies. 

To  look  at,  they  closely  resemble  the  grey  wolf  of 
the  prairie,  and  wolves  mingling  with  the  team  would 
scarcely  be  recognised  by  an  untrained  eye.  Usually 
the  dogs  wander  in  summer  around  the  land-wash, 
in  troops  of  say  fift}^  eating  the  offal  below  the  fish 
stages ;  or  when  caplin  schools  are  close  inshore, 
they  wade  into  the  water  and  swallow  the  fish  alive. 
Always  lean  and  lank  at  this  time  of  the  year,  they 
never  neglect  to  lay  up  against  an  evil  day,  a  fact 
that  becomes  most  ludicrously  apparent  on  these  oc- 
casions, for  they  "  swells  wasibly." 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  sight  is  to  see  them 
catching  flounders.  The  fish  lie  buried  in  the  sand 
in  shallow  w^ater,  and  as  the  dog's  paw  comes  down 
on  one  it  struggles  to  get  away.  He  then  literally 
"  puts  his  foot  down,"  :ind  after  it  his  head,  which 
disappears  under  water  only  to  reappear  with  a 
struggling  victim.  This  is  carried  kicking  to  the 
land,  to  be  devoured  at  leisure. 

The  door  of  the  chapel  at  the  Moravian  station  of 
Hcpedalc  was  one  day  accidentally  left  ajar.  Such 
a  golden  opportunity  for  a  meal  was  not  to  be  wasted, 
and  a  companj^  of  dogs  soon  lound  its  way  in.  Some 
tempting  hymn  -  books  and  litanies  were  shortly' 
brought  to  light,  redolent  with  blubber  from  the 
thumbs  of  the  worshippers.  Needless  to  say  they 
were  sacrificed  at  the  only  shrine  dogs  recognise. 

On  another  occasion  a  similar  oversight  let  them 


ox    DOGS   AXD   DIFFICULTIES 


U.') 


into  the  tendcrlj'-nurturcd  kitchen  garden  of  the 
Brethren.  The  dogs  rased  the  cabbages  to  the  ground, 
and  even  carried  away  with  them  the  few  highly- 
prized  wurzels. 

Modesty  is  a  virtue  of  which  the  Kskimo  dcg 
is  seldom  guilty.  I  was  visitmg  one  day  a  bed- 
ridden patient.  As  the  outer  door  opened,  a  fragrant 
scent  as  of  a  dinner  preparing  was  wafted  outward. 
Suddenly  an  avalanche  swept  me  off  my  legs,  and  a 
p[ick  of  dogs,  whisking  the  stew-pot  off  the  lire,  began 
to  fight  savagely  over  its  contents,  the  more  so  as 
each,  having  burnt  its  nose  in  the  boiling  liquid, 
attributed  his  affliction  to  his  neighbour.  Mean- 
while the  house  filling  with  steam  and  Eskimo  impre- 
cations, the  latter  rendered  forcible  by  long  harpoon 
handles,  made  me  almost  sorry  I  had  called. 

An  Eskimo's  financial  condition  may  be  gauged  by 
the  number  of  his  dogs,  and  no  one  with  less  than 
six  would  rank  as  "  carriage  folk."  Eight  to  thirteen 
normally  form  a  team,  each  being  harnessed,  by  a 
single  walrus-hide  trace  of  a  different  length,  to  the 
komatik.  The  leader  will  be  some  twent^'-six  yards 
away,  which  enables  tlie  team  to  clamber  over  or 
round  hummocky  ice.  The  driver  on  these  occasions 
Jumps  off  to  help  the  sleigh  over,  while,  to  prevent 
breaking,  the  komatik  is  made  of  numbers  of  short 
wide  cross  boards  lashed  by  strong  tendons  across 
two  longitudiniil  pieces,  no  miils  being  used.  The 
runners  are  shod  with  ribs  of  whale,  with  iron,  or 
with  mud.     A  slot   is  made  in  the  ^now  and  lilled 


::>■' 


h.  <  '. 


146 


VIKIXGS   OF    TO-DAY 


with  soft  mud,  which  at  once  freezes.  This  is  next 
frozen  on  to  the  wood,  and  then  planed  or  chopped 
smooth  with  an  adze.  As  there  are  no  reins,  the 
leadinu;  dot;-  is  trained  to  obey  the  voice.  At  the 
shout  "Auk"  he  i^oes  to  the  ri^ht,  and  at  "Ra"  to 
the  left,  and  so  on,  the  others  all  foliowint^  him.  If 
those  behind  are  not  pullint]^  well,  the  leader  will 
drop  back  amoni^  them  and  bite  at  them.  They 
al\va5^s  pull  in  the  same  place  in  a  team.  Thus  three 
dogs,  the  whole  team  of  a  poor  man,  were  lent  to 
pull  with  six  others.  They  were  first  placed  in  front, 
but  would  not  pull,  being  frightened  at  so  many  dogs 
behind  them.  When,  however,  the  leader  was  left  in 
front  and  the  other  two  put  last  of  all,  the  whole 
team  ran  capitally.  Mr.  Young  tells  us  he  once  put 
a  3'oung  dog  in  front  of  his  old  leader,  a  magnilicent 
old  fellow  on  whom  he  always  could  rely  in  danger. 
Before  he  had,  however,  mounted  the  komatik,  he 
found  the  pup  scampering  away  loose — the  leader 
had  bitten  through  the  traces.  He  refastened  it  three 
times,  always  with  the  same  result.  At  last  he  gave 
his  old  leader  a  good  whipping.  The  old  dog's  spirit 
was  completely  broken  by  this  trcLitment,  and  it  so 
felt  its  double  disgrace,  it  was  never,  to  the  day  of 
its  death,  the  same  brave,  trusty  dog. 

The  dogs  greatly  enjoy  their  work,  and  when 
harnessed  in  get  tremendously  excited,  at  times  even 
turning  on  their  own  drivers.  To  correct  them  a 
short  whip,  with  an  enormously  long  lash,  all  of 
walrus  hide,  is  so  dexterously  used  that  an  expert 


O.V    DOGS   AXD    DIFFICULTIES 


M7 


is  next 
:hopped 
ins,  the 
At  the 
Ka  "  to 
lim.  If 
Icr  will 
They 
us  three 
lent  to 
n  front, 
ny  dogs 
,  left  in 
i  whole 
nee  put 
niiicent 
danger. 
Ltik,   he 

leader 
it  three 
le  gave 
s  spirit 
id  it  so 

day  of 

when 

iS  even 

them  a 

all   of 

expert 


driver  can  flick  a  piece  out  of  any  particular  dog's 
ear. 

Occasionally,  a  refractory  dog  is  pulled  in  by  its 
trace  for  punishment.  They  know  the  meaning  of 
tliis,  and  anticipate  the  beating  by  a  lively  howling; 
so  that  merely  to  shorten  a  trace,  may  exert  a  good 
moral  effect  on  n  team. 

The  "trail"  is  usually  over  the  frozen  sea,  the  land 
being  too  uneven.  Good  dogs  will  cover  from  70 
to  100  miles  in  a  day.  When  starting  in  the  morning 
the  snow  is  covered  with  little  icicles,  formed  by  the 
mid-day  sun  melting  the  frozen  surface.  As  this 
is  apt  to  make  the  feet  of  the  dogs  bleed,  they  are 
shod  with  a  bag  of  seal-skin,  tied  round  the  ankle. 
Tliree  small  holes  are  cut  for  the  claws.  A  pup 
shod  for  the  first  time,  holds  up  his  paws  in  the  air 
alternately ;  but  once  he  learns  to  appreciate  the  fact 
that  shoes  save  his  feet  from  being  cut,  though  he 
will  always  eat  any  ordinary  piece  of  skin,  such  as 
on  a  kayak  or  a  skin  boot,  he  rarely  eats  his  own 
shoes.  They  do,  however,  bite  at,  and  eat  the  harness, 
especially  of  the  dog  in  front  of  them.  Mr.  Young  ^ 
tells  of  a  big  dog  which,  though  apparently  always 
hard  at  work,  never  seemed  to  get  tired  like  the  rest. 
Il  always  seemed  to  strain  at  its  trace,  and  kept 
looking  round,  apparently  for  the  driver's  approval. 
His  suspicions,  however,  were  aroused,  and  one  day, 
cutting  loose  the  trace,  he  fastened  it  by  a  single 
thread     to    the    k'omatik.       Sure    enough,    the    dog 

^  Storks  from  Indian    U'/^zcams,  R.'I".  S.,  by  Rev.   Kg;erton  Voung. 


m 


u\ 


148 


VIKINGS   OF    TO-DAY 


\. 


s 


strained  and  worked   as   hard  as  ever,  but    it  ncvcy 
broke  the  siiigle  thread. 

When  the  ice  is  good,  dogs  will  maintain  eight 
miles  an  hour,  at  other  times  they  can  only  advance 
at  a  walk ;  while,  j^t  again,  when  the  ice  is  surging 
up  and  down  over  the  sea,  and  Avind  and  snow 
are  against  them,  the  weight  of  the  sleigh  will  even 
drag  them  backwards.  These  dogs  are  exceedingly 
heavy,  and  their  dragging  power  is  enormous.  It 
takes  a  full-grown  man  to  hold  one  in  leash.  A 
team  of  fifteen  dogs  took  six  people  on  the  sleigh 
"  like  a  house  on  lire."  They  are  very  quick  to 
recognise  the  danger  of  being  cut  off  from  the  kind, 
especially  when  water  comes  over  the  ice,  and  they 
will  then  throw  their  whole  strength  into  the  work. 
Many  times  when  a  driver,  overtaken  by  night,  per- 
haps having  missed  the  trail  from  heavy  snow,  and 
quite  exhausted  gives  up  the  unequal  struggle,  the 
unerring  instinct  of  the  dogs  finds  full  play,  and 
they  rarely  fail  to  reach  shelter  of  some  kind.  At 
night  the  traces  are  unhitched  and  stamped  down 
into  the  snow,  for  lack  of  anything  to  tie  them  to. 
This  keeps  them  from  straying.  Their  dole  of  food 
is  then  given  them,  probably  rotten  caplin  and  seal 
blubber ;  after  Avhich  they  sleep  out  on  the  snow, 
even  when  the  temperature  is  50"  below  zero.  Yet 
if  other  dogs  are  near,  and  they  can  get  at  them, 
most  of  the  night  will  be  spent  fighting.  It  is  often 
the  capacity  for  carrying  food  for  the  dogs  that 
limits  the  journe3\    To  prevent  this,  the  Moravians 


!!    ' 


ON  DOGS  AND  DIFFICULTIES 


140 


X  iievey 

1  eight 
LdVc'ince 
surging 

I  snow 

II  even 
edingiy 
us.  It 
Lsh.     A 

sleigh 
uick  to 
e  l;ind, 
id  they 
'  work, 
it,  per- 
w,  and 
the 
and 
At 
down 
ni  to. 
food 
d  seal 
snow, 
Yet 
them, 
often 
that 
vians 


le, 


make   depots   of   dog    food  along   the   coast  during 
summer. 

One  day  .an  old  Eskimo  arrived  at  Nachvak  from 
C;ipe  Chidley,  Ji  distance  of  about  100  miles.  A\''hen 
asked  where  his  dog  food  was,  he  answered,  "  Me 
go  home  to-morrow,  then  feed  them,"  showing  the 
power  of  endurance  of  these  dogs.  On  one  occasion 
during  a  long  Journey  a  traveller  (P.  Mackenzie) 
shot  some  caribou  deer,  and  taking  all  the  meat  he 
wanted,  pursued  his  journe\'.  While  building  his 
snow  hut  for  the  night,  a  fresh  herd  of  deer  passed 
within  scent  of  the  dogs.  All,  with  the  exception 
of  their  leader,  a  small  bitch,  man.aged  to  free  their 
traces  and  gave  chase.  Ry  chance  they  came  on 
the  dead  quarry,  and,  falling  to,  at  once  gorged 
themselves  on  it.  As  they  returned  to  the  camp, 
one  large  powerful  dog  was  observed  carrying  a 
whole  haunch  in  his  mouth,  and  was  seen  to  go 
find  lay  it  down  in  reach  of  the  still  captive  little 
leader. 

These  dogs  can  be  dangerous  at  times.  Once  the 
team  of  a  settler  living  in  Seal  Islands  ran  away. 
They  came  back  savage  as  wolves,  and  it  transpired 
that  they  had  killed  and  eaten  a  little  girl,  of  seven 
years  old,  while  away.  Of  course  their  owner  was 
forced  to  shoot  them.  This  tendency  to  wander  was 
recently  put  to  good  use.  A  solitary  settler  and  his 
wife  were  suddenly  struck  down  with  influenza.  The 
man  developed  lung  symptoms,  and  the  woman  also 
became  too   ill  to   feed  either   herself  or  him.     She 


:i  ! 


W' 


fT. 


■■  ri 


I    '.' 


M 


150 


VIKIXGS   OF    TO- DAY 


could  hardly  cniwl  , 'IS  far  as  tlic  (.upbo.ard  for  food; 
and  they  both  stood  in  jureat  danger  of  Wuv^  starved, 
ihouii'h  food  was  in  the  house.  In  this  extremity 
the  woman,  who  could  write,  scribbled  on  a  piece 
of  paper,  "Come  over  quickly,"  and  tieel  it  round 
one  of  the  do,i;'s  necks.  The  do^  cairietl  il  to  the 
nearest  neighbour,  a  distance  of  ten  miles  over  the 
iie,  and  eventually  returned  with  help.  Possibly  as 
the  old  couple  could  no  longer  tiet  about  to  ,u,ive  the 
doiLis  food,  that  mi,£;ht  account  for  its  setting;  off  for 
another  house. 

In  the  watei"  the  Ksk'imo  doc;  is  quite  at  home.  I 
have  known  them  swim  home  from  a  desert  island 
a  Ci'ood  mile  from  limd,  and  have  watched  them 
playfully  chasint:;-  one  another's  tails  as  they  swam 
about  in  that  cold  water. 

Mghtin.c,  however,  is  their  chief  diversion.  Each 
team  always  has  its  kinn!,-,  who  maintains  his  posi- 
tion j-olelv  by  his  miiiht.  I  have  watched  from  a  boat 
a  pack  banished  to  an  island  in  summer  to  keep  them 
out  of  mischief".  As  we  rowed  round,  a  line  youn;;' 
dou:,  with  the  only  female  close  alongside,  moved  by 
curiosity  followed  us  out  to  the  end  of  every  little 
promontory,  but  the  rest  all  maintained  a  respectful 
dist;incc  behind.  Next  week,  when  we  passed  a,i2,ain, 
we  found  he  had  been  deposed,  and  then  woe  betide 
him  lor  some  time.  The  entire  p;ick  seem  to  com- 
bine to  pay  off  their  pent-up  grudges  against  him, 
and  at  times  he  is  so  hai'ried  he  takes  to  the  water. 
I   have   watched   a   kite   leader   standing   up   to   his 


ir  Too  J  ; 

ircmity 

;i   pie-ce 

round 

to  the 

vcM*  the 

•ihly  ;i.s 

ivc  the 

orr  for 

^mc.  I 
island 

I  them 
swam 

Each 

s  posi- 

a  boat 

1  til  em 

youn,';' 

red  by 

V  little 

pectiul 

ai^ain, 

betide 

|)  com- 

t  him, 

water. 

to   his 


c^ 


Eskimo  Family. 


«S« 


1 ' 


!      li 


!i    C 


ox   DOGS  AXD  DIFFICULiIES 


153 


shoulders  in  water  cj'cin.u:  his  tormcntr  rs  to  se„  if 
he  coukl  escape  unobserved  ;  but  ever}  attempt  he 
made  to  come  ashore  a  combined  rus  was  made, 
and  he  was  forced  to  retire  a^ain. 

At  night  on  travel  a  snow  hut  is  built.  Half  an 
hour  is  lon.c:  enough  for  this.  The  snow  is  cut  in 
blocks  —  nowadays  usually  with  an  obi  cavalry 
sabre — from  the  inside  of  the  circle  chosen  for  the 
house.  Thus  the  hut  ^roes  down  [ind  up  at  the  same 
time.  A  hole  is  leO  'it  ne  top  lor  the  air,  while  a 
block  is  cut  to  lit  in^^  th>  door  from  the  outside,  after 
all  are  in.  If  a  .Mt  is  carried,  it  is  of  the  usual 
reindeer  skins,  S''\vn  tojcether  with  tendons.  The 
sleeping"  bag  is  m.  ;e  'O'i  seal-skin  with  the  hair  out- 
side, and  lined  with  reindeer  skin  with  the  hair  inside. 
Almost  any  cold  can  be  borne  in  it  ;  and  if  your 
family  are  travelling  with  you,  and  share  your  bag, 
they  are  then  said  to  be  positively  warm.  The 
skin  boots  always  worn  are  so  exquisitely  sewn,  that, 
like  the  kayiiks,  they  are  quite  watertight. 

However,  there  is  no  water  in  Labrador  in  winter, 
for  even  the  perspiration  from  <^  '  men's  bodies,  if 
they  do  violent  work,  freezes  inside  the  clothing;  and, 
as  in  cases  of  Arctic  explorers,  it  ma\'  become  neces- 
sary to  take  off  one's  clothes  lit  night  to  hammer  out 
the  ice  from  the  inside. 

To  do  this  sewing  it  is  necessary  to  chew  the 
edges  of  the  skins  soft.  One  woman  said  to  me, 
"  Me  nvj  good  now,"  showing  me  that  her  teeth 
were  all  too  far    worn   down  to  be  of  any   use   in 


h 


m 


i54 


IJhJAGS   UF    TODAY 


l^oot-makini;.  The  Eskimo's  teeth  meet  one  an- 
other, and  do  not  overhanj;-  Hke  J:^uropeans'.  wSoit 
liread  ^ets  so  hard  frozen  that  biseiL  .s  liavo  to  bo 
carried,  whieh,  with  lumps  of  meat,  are  stowed  away 
under  their  ekxiies  next  the  skin,  in  order  to  keep 
it  soft.  Spirits  even  will  'Vee/.e  in  the  bottle;  but 
neither  Avhites  nor  Kskimo  carry  alcohol,  or  dare 
resort  to  it  in  cold  weather,  if  they  had  it.  These 
people  form  an  excellent  apology  for  total  abstin- 
ence, ;is  do  the  Laps,  who  drink  only  coffee.  In  Kni!;- 
land  and  the  United  Stales  cold  weather  is  used  as 
an  apoloi;y  for  whisky.  Drink  soon  ciestroys  the 
Eskimo.  Yet  they,  like  white  men,  willini;ly  beconu 
its  slaves.  They  have  even  buried  in  their  oil  casks, 
water,  mokisses,  and  old  mouldy  biscuits,  in  order  to 
get  fermented  liquor,  when  once  habitu;ited  to  it. 

The  Moravians  have,  however,  kept  the  ti'aflic  in 
check,  partly  by  not  teaching  the  Eskimo  English, 
and  partly  by  Christian  teaching.  One  dear  old 
fellow — named  Zacharias — had  in  his  early  days 
been  expelled  by  the  E^skimo  from  Okkak  for  drunk- 
enness and  being  ii  nuisance  to  the  community. 
Becoming  a  Christian  under  the  preaching  at  Hope- 
dale,  he  was  no\v  seeking  to  get  back  to  Okkak  to 
show  them  what  the  grace  of  God  can  do  in  the 
dark  heart  of  a  drunken  Eskimo.  \'ery  practical 
are  some  of  these  Eskimo  Christians.  One  Nathaniel 
last  winter,  while  going  to  his  sealing  ground,  was 
carried  off  to  sea  by  the  ice  drifting  off.  '\\lien 
eventually  he  managed  to  escape,  he  told  the  mis- 


'IP 


o.v  nor,s  am)  diffilii.ties 


Kh) 


sionarics:  "I  tclt  like  IVtcr.  I  coiiIJ  not  pray, 
tliou,L;h  1  ihou^lU  I  must  ilic.  1  had  not  liwi'  a  i;()ocl 
iilc."  On  anollKT  occasion  a  woman  actually  \\\  iit 
and  ,t;avc  back  all  the  property  she  had  won  Iroin 
another  by  gamblin.L;-,  when  told  it  was  displeasin;^ 
to  (iod. 

The  followinL;'  translation  of  leUers  from  sonu 
much  resix'ctetl  leaders  amoni::  them,  L;ives  an  in- 
si,L»ht  into  their  reelinjL;s  and  ideas.  One  wrote  to  us 
as  follows:  "In  spirit  I  am  amons,'  you,  my  fellow- 
servants.  Only  a  little  I  want  to  say  to  you.  Ik- 
c;iuse  the  Lord,  lie  helps  us,  you  as  well  as  us  we 
in  Labrailor.  In  one  faith  and  love  in  that  which 
jesus  has  wroui;ht  for  us,  that  we  can  walk  throu,L;h 
Ilim  that  stren|L;thens  us.  Once  more  we  have  reason 
to  be  thankful,  because  the  physician  came;  we  are 
often  reminded  that  our  souls  also  must  have  medi- 
cine, i.e.  the  Word  of  God.  I  salute  you  all.  The 
Lord  may  help  every  one  of  us.  ^'ou  as  well  as 
me.     Zacharias.     The  one  that  is  in  llopedale." 

Another  wrote,  "  My  wife  and  I  and  all  the  Lskimo 
wish  very  sincerely  to  thank  all  the  jL;"ood  believxTs 
on  the  other  side  of  the  sea,  who  in  their  love  have 
thought  of  us,  and  sent  a  doctor  te  i.elp  and  assist  us 
in  our  illness.  We  do  not  understand  the  language  of 
those  you  have  sent  here,  yet  we  rejoice  lh;it  they  are 
preac^'  •  the  Word  of  God  faithfully  to  the  many 
lishernien  who  work  along  the  Labrador.  My  prayer 
and  wish  are  that  the  Lord  will  protect  them  on 
their  journey,  and  bless  you  and  them  in  the  work. 


156 


r/A'/.vrr.s  of  roDAV 


i 


'^1 


My  wife  and  I  greet  all  those  ^vho  lo\'e  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

"D.\\ii:l  and  J(»-i:i'Iiin-  \." 

When  the  mi>.sionari(.'s  doiiv  to  jMinish  an  i'^skimo. 
it  is  ijcnerally  donu  by  (ij  relusini;'  to  allovv  him 
personally  in  the  stoiv ;  (2)  ejcetinL;  him  I'.om  tlu' 
choir  or  bantl  ;  (31  cuttin.u^  him  oil"  troni  eommunion. 
An  Eskimo,  never  havini;-  severer  [umishmcnt,  Icels 
eaeh  of  these  very  acutely. 

Cartwri^ht  punished  them  mueh  more  summarily. 
In  his  dry  wa}',  he  remarks:  "July  i.  Having- 
reproved  an  Kskimo  in  a  ver}'  anury  tone  for  steal- 
ing- a  skein  of  thread,  I  ,t;ave  him  a  few  strokes 
with  a  stick.  He  instantly  made  resistance;  when 
catching'  him  in  my  arms,  I  miive  him  a  cross  but- 
tock (;i  method  of  throwin.L;-  unknown  to  theni\  and 
pitched  him  with  i;reat  force  head  lirst  out  of  my 
tent.  The  rest  applauded  my  aclion  as  just,  and 
had  a  hii»h  opinion  of  my  lenity." 

Conveying  Bible  ideas  to  the  liskimo  has  not 
been  easy.  It  nr.'st  be  remembered  they  ha\'e  never 
seen  vShcep  or  lamos,  horse  or  mule,  fruit  tree  or 
corn,  sowing  or  harvest.  Nor  have  they  much  idea 
of  kindness  to  animals  at  all.  ]£very  animal  but  a 
doa:   is  to  be   killed,   and   even  their  dogs  are  to   be 

erable  distance.  ]>ut  they  are  them- 
selves very  grateful  for  kindness,  as  the  above 
extracts  show. 


kept  at  a  consi 


ClIAITRR   XIV 


OiV  SICALS  AM)  sj-:al/:a's 


T 


not 
never 
L'  or 
idea 
Lit  ;i 
be 
lem- 
bove 


'^IIK  hair  seal,  lo- 
cal ly  "  s\v  i  le," 
allords  to  the  New- 
luLindhincI  hsherman 
almost  the  only  means 
of  work  in  winter 
whieh  will  help  liini 
to  eke  out  the  meaj;re 
livini;'  provided  by 
his  L;dM"ador  voy- 
ages, 'i'rue,  theiv  is 
a  home  IVozen-her- 
rinu,-  trade,,  but  it  is 
limited  to  the  west 
coast ;  and  also  the 
new  railway  employs 
a  certain  number  of 
men  as  loni;-  as  the 
inclemencies  of  winter  [dlow  '\vork  to  proceed.  lUit 
it  is  to  the  sprini;-  sealing-,  or  "  ,L;oin';-  to  the  ice,"  as 
they  call  it,  that  most  loois  for  the  e\n;i  lew  dollars  to 
help  lill  the  children's  mcAUhs.     Not  .ong  ago  every 

X57 


Tlie  s.s.  Sir  Donald, 


t 


,1 1 


f     ■    i    ■ 

'■  \'' 


"i^'m 


\ . 


'Ht 


111 


■[t 


ir;3 


Vlk'IXGS    OF    TODAY 


one  could  ,il;o  to  the  ice,  for  then  only  sailing-boats 
went,  and  the  wealth  reaped  from  the  voyai^es  passed 
mostly  into  the  fishermen's  pock'ets.  Now  all  is  revo- 
lutionized, and  the  sealinu;  is  in  the  kinds  of  half-a- 
dozen  lirms,  that  send  out  biu,'  steamers,  carrying," 
crews  numberin<>-  as  many  as  three  hundred  men. 
]\Ioreo\'er,  the  value  of  seal-oil  h;is  ,i;reatly  decreased, 
and  the  expenses  of  the  steanurs  cat  up  much  of  the 
profit.  There  are  not  a  lew  whom  one  hears  L;rowl- 
ini;',  "Steam  has  ruined  Newfoundland." 

The  hair  seal,  "  I'hoca  Greenlandica,"  must  not  be 
confounded  with  the  fur  seal  of  the  Pacilic,  for 
thouL'h  the  former  is  found  in  the  Pacilic,  the  latter 
is  never  found  in  the  North  Atlantic.  The  fur  seal 
is  as  a  rule  larger,  Ikis  mujh  longer  hands  and  feet 
in  proportion  to  his  body,  and  also  a  much  longer 
neck',  .lie  is  apparently  a  much  more  powerful 
swimmer.  There  aiv,  f.owever,  several  kinds  of 
hair  seal.  The  largest  is  the  hood  seal.  A  truly 
magnilicent  animal,  and  one  that  shows  much 
courage  in  defending"  himself  against  his  enemies. 
Sitting  uj-)  on  his  tail  and  hind  legs,  he  defends 
hiinself  with  teeth  and  ilippers,  protecting  his  heiid 
from  injury  by  blowing  out  a  bladdei-shaped  and 
shot-proof  excrescence  en  it.  The  usual  method  to 
kill  a  seal  is  to  hit  it  upon  the  nose  witli  a  club, 
called  a  seal-bat,  but  when  once  fairly  roused  the 
bull  hood  seal  is  invulnerable  there.  An  old  sealer 
described  to  me  a  b.  iLle  between  one  of  these  fellows 
and  a  polar  bear,  in   which  he  told  us  the  seal  only 


ox    SFALS   J\D   sr.lLI-h'S 


159 


yielded  to  be  eaten  after  a  prolonged  and  blcody 
strun^le.  It  t;ikes  two  men  at  least  to  kill  one,  lor 
one  man  has  to  divert  the  animal's  attention  by 
striking-  its  tail,  while  the  other  endeavotirs  to  hit 
it  under  the  jaw  as  it  turns  round. 

The  most  important  hair  seal,  however,  is  the 
harp.  It  is  the  variety  whieh  resort  to  the  iee  to 
breid  in  sueh  countless  thousands,  and  whieh  the 
sealing'  \essels  u,()  out  in  pursuit  of.  Tlie  proeess 
of  breedinii  is  most  interestiui;".  The  following:  ac- 
count was  L;i\'en  me  by  Captain  lilandford,  of  New- 
foundland, perhaps  the  most  successful  of  all  the 
bold  sealiuL!,"  captains: — 

"Soon  after  we  L;"ot  jammed  in  the  ice  there  ap- 
peared from  the  water  lour  or  live  old  seals,  which 
scrambled  up  on  to  its  surface.  Within  live  minutes 
there  were  500  seals  on  it,  and  in  half  an  hour 
200,000  as  nearly  as  we  could  ,u,uess.  vScarcely  had 
they  come  to  re  t  on  the  ice  when  they  commenced 
throwini;-  their  youni;",  and  at  once,  after  whelping', 
those  close  to  us,  beino,'  somewhat  frightened  by  the 
ship,  jumped  back  into  the  sea,  leavini;'  the  little 
seals  whimperinii"  exactly  like  babies." 

The  youni;-  are  born  about  the  1st  of  March,  and 
are  very  small,  fat,  and  snowy  white,  remaining  so 
up  till  the  20th  to  2,-)th,  i.e.  about  three  weeks,  be- 
tween which  date  and  the  ist  of  April  they  are  bi'j, 
enouuh  to  take  to  the  water.  IXirini;  this  period  they 
are  known  as  *' whitecoats."  They  iirow  so  rapidly 
that  vou  can  almost   see  them    iiimv.  iau',   MioU'i,h  on 


i6o 


VIKIXGS   OF    TO-DAY 


w 


■;  \ 


.a    ! , 


■  re   ■-* 


# 


m 


\m 


the  above  occasion  those  close  to  the  ship  did  not 
gTOAV  nearly  as  rapidly  as  those  I'arther  away,  for  the 
dams  were  shy  about  coming"  to  give  them  suck. 

The  "  whitecoats  "  are  not  large  enough  to  kill  until 
they  are  fourteen  days'  old,  so  that  on  this  occasion 
the  crew  had  to  wait.  Now,  however,  by  law  no 
sailing  vessel  may  leave  for  the  ice  until  the  8th  of 
March,  and  no  steamer  till  the  12th,  under  a  penalty 
of  $2,000,  which  gives  the  seals  a  chance  to  get 
sizeable ;  nor  is  a  vessel  noAv  allowed  to  make  a 
second  voyage  the  same  year,  it  she  has  once  come 
back  loaded.  This  prevents  the  exterminiilion  of  the 
mother  seals.  Great  excitement  always  exists  when 
the  sealers  are  about  to  start ;  sometimes  it  is  neces- 
sary to  cut  their  way  out  of  the  harbour,  in  which 
they  have  been  imprisoned  during  the  winter  months, 
with  dynamite,  saws,  and  crowbars,  the  way  being 
cleared  beforehand,  that  not  an  hour  may  be  lost 
after  the  clocks  announce  midnight  of  the  nth. 
This  yu'dv,  1894,  while  blasting  a  way  out  of  the  ice 
in  Greenspond  Harbour,  the  s.s.  IVii/nis  was  severely 
damaged  by  the  explosion  of  the  dynamite,  which 
shattered  her  bows,  and  killed  some  of  her  men. 
The  ice  was  ten  feet  thicl:. 

The  vessels  may  start  from  any  part  of  the  island, 
north  or  south,  but  no  one  place  is  always  best,  the 
position  of  the  seals  varying  every  season.  There  is 
much  competition  to  get  a  place  among  the  crews, 
and  the  men  are  carefully  selected  ior  their  pluck, 
energy,  experience,  and   physical  capacities.      These 


0\   SEALS   AAD   SEALERS 


K)l 


did  not 
y,  for  the 

suck. 

kill  until 
■  occasion 
y  hiw  no 
the  8th  of 

a  pL-nalty 
ice   to   get 
,0  make  a 
once  come 
Ltion  of  the 
xists  \vhen 
it  is  neces- 
r,  in  ^vhich 
tcr  months, 

way  being 
lay  be   lost 
the    nth. 

t  of  the  ice 
Ivas  severely 

mite,  which 

f   her   men. 

)f  the  island, 
livs  best,  the 
)n.  There  is 
|<r  the  crews, 
their  pluck, 
lilies.     These 


are  queer-looking  craft  to  the  unaccustomed  eye 
these  stoam  sealers  of  about  300  to  400  tons  burden, 
with  their  outside  thick  sheathing  of  hard  wood, 
called  "  ice  chocks,"  and  their  huge  double  stems, 
filled  between  with  froni  nine  to  twelve  feet  of 
solid  oak,  built  for  charging  throu.<2,h  lloe  ice.  l-'or 
when  shut  in  the  steamer  will  back  far  enough  to 
gain  ,i;ood  impetus,  .and  then  dash  full  at  the  weakest 
part  of  the  lloe.  Usually  the  slopinu,'  forepost 
allows  the  \essel  to  rise  up  on  to  the  ice,  the 
i;reat  weight  then  breaking  down  into  cleai-  water. 
Anything  loose  on  deck  is  of  course  upset,  as  are 
;iry  of  the  crew  who  happen  not  to  be  holding 
some  support.  All  arc  rigged  with  three  masts, 
and  can  sail  as  well  as  steam ;  and  the  screw 
being  lixed  in  a  slot  can  easily  be  pulh^d  up  out  of 
the  water  at  these  times.  Each  masthead  is  fitted 
with  ;i  barrel  or  crow's  nest,  from  whicdi  a  careful 
look-out  lor  seals  is  constantly  maintained.  When 
once  discovered,  the  next  thing  is  to  keep  them  to 
yourself,  and,  if  possible,  mislead  any  other  vessels 
near,  who  might  be  apt  to  join  in  and  so  lessen 
your  prize.  A  captain,  well  known  for  his  success, 
was  lately  dogged  in  this  way  by  a  fresh  h.and.  To 
mislead  his  rival  the  captain  stc;nTied  into  one  of  the 
large  bays,  where,  it  so  happened,  he  got  frozen  in 
while  tne  raw  hand,  turning  out,  caught  a  full 
voyage. 

Once  alongside  the  floe,  the  men  jump  off  on  to  the 
ice,  and  at   once  the  work  begins.     Sometimes  they 


r, 


ih] 


■ii; 


!  II 


I      ' 


162 


VIKIXGS   OF   TO-DAY 


work  in  pairs,  one  man  shooting  the  seals,  and  his 
chum,  who  is  called  "  the  dog,"  following  up,  cutting 
off  the  tail  from  the  dead  seal  to  "mark  it,"  and  then 
gathering  them  in  heaps,  and  putting  up  a  pole  with 
a  ilag  or  a  piece  of  liver  as  a  claim.  These  are 
then  said  to  be  "panned."  This  is  technically  called 
"  swatching."  When  shooting,  1,400  seals  in  a  day 
is  good  work  for  a  crew,  though  they  have  killed 
3,000;  but  when  it  is  only  ne  :essary  to  "club"  them 
with  the  seal-bat,  25,000  have  been  killed  in  a  day, 
and  47,000  in  two  days.  Sculping  (scalping?)  is 
the  next  process — that  is  taking  off  the  skin  and 
fat.  This  scarcely  takes  a  minute.  The  seal  is 
thrown  on  its  back,  ripped  up  from  chin  to  tail, 
and  the  fat  and  skin,  known  as  the  "pelt,"  are  torn 
off.  The  body  is  no  use,  and  is  le*>  on  the  ice, 
except  that  occasionally  the  hearts  are  cut  out  and 
strung  on  the  hunter's  belts,  as  a  reserve  of  food 
in  case  of  necessity. 

The  mother  seals  show  great  sagacity  in  finding 
the  particular  hole,  through  which  she  comes  and 
goes  for  food,  among  so  many  thousand  others,  and 
at  once  she  finds  her  OAvn  little  v\'hite  pup.  They 
will  evince  much  self-sacrifice  in  trying  to  rescue 
their  offspring  from  danger,  at  times  carrying  them 
in  their  fore  flippers  to  escape  being  nipped  by  ice, 
or  drawing  them  into  the  water  to  teach  them  to 
swim.  Alas,  after  a  sealer's  visit  she  will-  only  find 
a  quivering  red  corpse  when  she  returns.  Let  us 
hope  she  does  not  recognise  it. 


ox   SEALS   AXD  SEA  LENS 


!()' 


When  anotlKT  cr-w  is  also  at  work  on  tlie  same 
patch  of  seals  ihe  .greatest  expedition  is  naturally 
used,  and  under  these  circumstances  the  se;ils  will 
often  only  be  "  b;itted  "  and  stunned,  not  slabixxl 
to  the  heart  as  Avell,  before  bein,i»'  skinned.  It  is 
this  that  has  ^iven  rise  to  the  charges  of  cruelty, 
for  the  naked  body  has  been  seen  to  movt>  ;rround 
after  the  operation.  ^)thcr\vise  there  is  no  more 
cruelty  in  killin,;.;-  seals  than  in  killini;-  cattle  or 
poultry,  ,'ind  any  man  who  is  humane  in  one  will 
natui  illy  be  humane  in  the  other;  nor  do  1  think 
you  wi'l  fmd  anywhere  a  more  humane  set  of 
men  than  you  will  among-  Newfoundland  iishcr- 
mcn. 

Captain  X.  was  once  just  forcing  his  way  through 
ice  towards  a  pacK  o^'  seals  when  he  sighted  a  rival 
vessel  coming  up  U'^der  his  lee.  Backing  out,  he 
[It  once  altered  his  course  away  from  the  se.als  to 
mislead  the  other,  but  was  too  late  to  prevent  them 
sighting  his  seals.  1  le  vSecond  vessel,  being  much 
faster,  now  ran  in  b(  veen  my  Iriend  and  the  ice, 
and  passing  him  or  the  starboard  side  gave  the 
order  "hard  a  starb",trd"  to  force  him  out  from  his 
own  cutting.  Incen.-ed  at  this,  Captain  X.  from  the 
barrel  shouted  *'  h  rd  a  port,"  and  wen'  straight  for 
his  rival's  stem.  Fortunately  an  intervening  pan  of 
ice  prevented  a  fatal  accident,  but  he  ran  his  bow- 
sprit well  over  the  other's  counter.  All  hands  from 
the  foremost  vessel  were  overboard  and  hard  at  work 
killing  and  panning    seals   before  Captain   X.  could 


i  \ 


'i< 


P 


1 


VIKIXr.S    OF    TO-DAY 

l.'intl  his  men ;  so  lie  slioulet),  ;is  liis  lin;il  orJer, 
"Hand  aboard  the  dead  seals;  never  mind  killin.L;' 
live  ones,"  and  then,  calmly  descendinu,',  went  and 
had  refreshments  with  the  other  captain  in  the  other 
vessel's  cabin,  while  the  crews  were  left  to  li|L;ht  it 
out  as  best  they  could.  They  are  a  brave,  generous, 
and  skilful  set  of  men,  these  sealing  ciiptains,  and 
reck  little  of  dani^er  or  hardship. 

Work  proceeds  durinc;  the  ni^ht  by  torchli,u,ht,  and 
the  scattered  tires,  with  their  rutldy  ,il;1ow  on  the 
heaps  of  dead  seals  and  uncouth-lookini;'  ti,L;ures  at 
work,  must  present  indeed  <a  weird  sight.  Now  the 
pelts  have  to  be  broui^ht  back  to  the  ship ;  and  in 
this  work  the  physical  capacities  of  eacli  hunter 
arc  tried  to  the  utmost.  vSix  pelts  is  a  full  "tow" 
for  one  man.  Often  when  the  ice  is  hummocky,  or 
perhaps  broken  up  into  pieces,  called  "slob"  ice, 
and  it  is  necessary  to  Jump  from  pan  to  p.an,  or 
again  when  the  distance  from  the  ship  is  lono;,  and 
the  approach  of  night  or  the  fo.Li;  render  travelling 
almost  impossible,  are  these  men  tempted  to  abandon 
the  hardly-won  pelts,  and  get  home  themselves  to 
the  ship  [ind  s;ifety. 

Sometimes  one  hunter  will  be  long  adrift  from 
the  steamer,  and  all  the  rest  being  bat-k,  and  all 
l\\(i  seals  in  that  patch  boarded,  the  captain  is 
anxious  to  get  off — how  anxious,  if  the  patch  was 
a  small  one  and  other  seals  are  near,  perhaps  only 
a  sealing-  captain  knows, — for  all  ships  must  be 
home  by  April  21st,  full  or  empty.     Yet  though  so 


( 


Veil  oi\k'r, 

went  ;vnd 
I  Uu'  othcr 

to  i'vM  ^^ 
^  2;eiU'rous, 


,^uutis, 


an*^^ 


chliiii^it,  and 
low   on   ll'^^' 

,-  titiurcs  at 

—I     '^ 

t.    Now  the 
,hip;  and  in 
each    hunter 
I  full  "tow" 
ummocky,  or 
u  ^lob  "    ice, 


n 


to   V 
Ion 


IS 


m,  or 
nd 


9\  a 


lacr  travellinii; 
,.a  to  abandon 
themselves  to 


ac 


Irift   IVom 
d  all 


n 


baeU,   ci 
L-    captain    i^ 
the   patch  ^v: 


P 
rhir 


eV 


DS 


hap^ 
mus 


0 


nlv 


t    be 


Yet  though  so 


165 


¥ 


!i 


1  t 


> 


'i 


I 


ox   SEALS  AXD  SEAIJ-.RS 


I()7 


'e| 


much  dcpcncls  on  it  ii  stray  hunicr  has  never  yet 
been  abandoned.  It  costs  a  lari^e  sum  to  send  these 
vessels  to  the-  ice,  and  a  "clean  ship"  means  a 
biv;  loss  to  the  merchant,  and  no  money  tor  the 
men. 

Sharks,  even  in  these  latitudes,  are  not  slow  to 
.uather  at  the  smell  of  slauf^htei-,  and  can  be  cau,t>ht 
with  boathooks  between  the  pans.  It  is  not  a  rare 
thin,<2,'  lor  men  to  slip  olf  the  pans  into  the  watei*, 
and  it  requires  no  little  skill  to  L!:et  out  aL;ain  with- 
out help  ;  lor  the  water,  naturally,  is  very  cold, 
and  one  is  apt  a^iiin  and  aL:,;iin  to  slip  olV  back 
into  the  water  while  trying  to  climb  on  to  the  ice. 
Acts  of  i;reat  heroism  are  performed  sometinics  in 
rescuini^  a  man  thus  endangered ;  in  one  case,  the 
pans  being  very  small,  it  was  not  possible  to  stand 
on  one  in  order  to  pull  the  man  out.  The  res- 
cuer, therefore,  quickly  throwing  off  his  outer  gar- 
ments, came  jumping  from  piece  to  piece,  making 
a  grab  at  the  struggling  man  iis  he  passed,  trying 
to  push  him  on  far  enough  for  him  to  catch,  hold. 
The  second  run  he  succeeded,  but,  of  course,  him- 
self ran  great  peril  in  the  attempt.  The  vessels 
eventually,  loaded  to  the  gunwales  if  they  have 
been  fortunate,  return  to  St,  Johns,  every  hole  and 
corner  being  used  for  stowing  the  pelts,  so  that  at 
times  the  crew  will  have*  to  sleep  wherever  they 
can  find  a  dry  spot,  even  on  deck  or  in  the  boa:s. 

Once  in  harbour,  the  fat  is  separated  and  put  into 
enormous  vats,  the  oii  being  squeezed  out  from  the 


,  ! 


1 


;  I 


!!l 


I    * 


«     3   ■ 


m  I 


'         I  !( 


II  ' 


1 68 


VIKI.YCS   OF   TODA 


l^lublxT  by  tlu'ii-  own  WL-i^ht,  liikI  beini;  cvuniuiilly 
drawn  otl,  tlarilied,  and  sold.  Now,  liowcvcr,  the 
blubber  is  usually  "rendered"  by  means  of  a  steam 
mincer.  Tlie  skins  are  salted  without  beincx  stretched, 
and  are  then  exiX)rted  "  L!:reen,"  lor  niakinLi;  into 
leather  for  l")oot  tops,  gloves,  etc.  When  the  white 
coat  is  a  year  old,  he  is  dark  in  colour  on  the 
back,  lighter  on  the  belly,  and  is  known  as  a 
"  bedlamer  harp."  W'iien  he  is  three  yuarN  old,  a 
l[iri;e  black  saddle-shaped  mark  be,i;ins  to  appear  o\ei- 
his  back,  and  he  is  called  a  full  "  bedlamc-r."  \\'iir!i 
he  is  four  years  old,  the  saddle  is  fuil}'  and  clearly 
marked,  and  the  .seal  is  then  known  as  the  "old 
harp." 

Seals,  ;is  is  ^ve1l  known  to  tho^e  who  visit  Zoo- 
logical (iardens,  are  very  easily  tamed,  and  dis|  lay 
almost  the  sagacity  of  dogs.  Tales  are  told  of  seals 
which  have  become  so  thoroughly  lame  that  they 
will  come  and  lie  before  the  fn^e,  making  friends  with 
the  dog  and  cat  ;  while  one,  when  it  had  been  found 
too  expensive  to  keep,  and  had  been  taken  out  to 
sea  and  dropped  overboard,  followed  the  boat  ashore 
again  and  again,  even  getting  in  at  the  window 
when  the  door  liad  been  shut  against  it.  The  seal 
is  used  by  the  liskimo  for  nearly  exxawthing.  The 
-•^treti'lied  coat  of  the  bowel  serves  instead  of  glass. 
Their  boats  aie  entirely  of  skin.  Their  clothing 
almost  all  skin.  Their  winter  food  almost  all  seal- 
meat  and  blubber.  Uog  food,  dog  harness,  dog  whips, 
etc.,  are  all  of  seal,  or  of  walrus  hide.     Moreover,  to 


0.\    SEALS   A\D   SI-A/./:/CS 


TTx) 


the  M'ltkTs,  llu'if  skins  lor  Ixiuls  and  ihrir  \\\y  Inr 
oil  arc  invaluahk. 

In  Labrador  the  "  uLI  harp> "  arc  caiiuiU  citluT 
in  the  fall  or  spriim".  when  ihc  sea  is  lir>t  trec/.inn 
u\cr  or  the  iec  /irst  brcakini;  u\\  and  always  aloni;' 
shore,  in  one  of  llie  lolltnvini;  ways.  Slronn  twine 
nets,  ^vil!l  wry  lar^e  mealies,  are  anehored  out  on  the 
bottom  in  about  twenty  to  thirty  lathonis  of  water, 
oil"  prominent  headlands,  or  in  lie  motiths  of  bay-^ 
and  inlets  known  to  be  IiwiuiiUclI  by  seals.  TIk  -e 
are  buoyed  on  the  surlaee,  and  in  these  tiie  seals 
me^h  and  di"ow'n  tiiemsehes.  'I'his  industry  is  at- 
tended wl'h  mueh  danL;t'r  and  hardship,  lor  it  in- 
volves rowini;  out  in  all  weathers  in  small  boats  to 
clear  tlie  nets.  Sometimes  the  buoys  are  undi  |-  the 
iee,  and  the  ]M'oeess  known  as  "  ^-reejMni;  "  has  to  be 
undertaken  to  Ihid  tlie  nets  at  all,  lor  it  will  not  do 
to  lose  these  most  valuable  possessions. 

It"  the  nets  are  not  recovered  by  New  ^'eai-'s  Day, 
they  are  lost;  yet  occasionally  they  may  be  re- 
coNcred  immediatLly  the  ice  j;oes  in  April,  when, 
the  men  tell  me,  both  nets  and  seals  in  th  ai'e 
<;ood  ;  but  it"  mu>  h  time  elapst-s  after  the  Hoc  drifts 
off,  both  rot  rapidly  and  are  destroyed  by  animal- 
cuku. 

Often  hours  must  be  spent  "  creepinii,"  [ind  then, 
perhaps,  only  some  one  else's  nets  are  taken,  while  all 
the  while  each  must  be  carefull\-  walchini;  the  other 
to  see  he  is  not  i»ettin|f^  frostbitten,  'ihe  nose,  ears, 
or  chin   will  be  :ome  frozen  unknown  to  the  owner 


,%.  ^o. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


A 


1.0 


I.I 


1^12^    |2.5 
Ut  1^    12.2 


1.8 


1.25  j  ,.4    ,,.6 

^ 

6" 

► 

VQ 


vl 


V 


'^> 


> 


^ 


y 


Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


•^ 


i\ 


^\^ 


:\ 


\ 


[V 


^? 


c^ 


«? 


-^^^^ 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)872-4503 


'**> 


M^ 


J 


i; 


8      I 


ti 


170 


VIKINGS  OF   TO-DAY 


and  another  will  cry  out  "your  ears  are  dead,"  the 
parts  having  turned  snowy  white.  Then  begins  the 
painful  and  tedious  process  of  rubbing  the  part  with 
snow — woe  betide  the  sufferer  who  goes  in  a  heated 
room,  or  uses  hot  water ;  for  a  certainty  he  will  lose 
his  ears  or  his  nose  —  then  the  creeping  must  be 
again  proceeded  with ;  or  when  the  nets  are  partly 
hauled  bad  weather  will  overtake  them,  perhaps  a 
sudden  squall  from  the  high  land  sweeps  down  on  the 
little  open  boat,  and  the  tragedy  of  "  the  three  fishers  " 
is  apt  to  be  enacte*^!  over  again.  In  one  case,  a  man 
described  to  me  how,  when  out  with  his  brother 
and  another  man,  while  in  the  act  of  hauling  into 
the  boat  a  square  flipper  seal  of  larger  size  than 
usual,  the  little  craft  capsized,  and  his  brother,  get- 
ting cramp  from  cold,  slipped  off  the  bottom  of  the 
boat  to  which  all  three  were  clinging.  Fortunately, 
the  other  two  managed,  it  being  a  calm  day,  to  hold 
on  till  a  rescue  was  effected.  It  is  cold  work  at 
best,  and,  as  one  stahvart  fellow  said,  "  jest  a  bit 
hard,  that  when  a  man  comes  home  real  hungry  it 
should  take  him  half  an  hour  to  get  the  ice  off  his 
face  before  he  can  find  his  mouth."  "  Yes,"  chimed 
in  another,  *'  I  lost  two  toes  and  this  ear,"  show- 
ing that  he  had  been  cropped  as  if  at  the  pillory. 
I  have  myself  seen  the  frozen  breath  hanging  from 
men's  beards  and  moustaches  till,  from  nose  to 
chest,  it  was  one  huge  white  mass. 

The  easier  way  of  catching  the  "  old  harps  "  is 
with  a  submerged  room  of  net,  resembling  the  cod 


I  1 


ON  SEALS   AND  SEALERS 


171 


trap,  with  the  difference  that  the  wtiU  which  is  on 
the  side  the  seals  enter  from  is  lowered  to  the  bottom. 
A  watch  is  kept  from  the  shore,  and  as  soon  as  the 
seals  enter  the  room  a  rope  attached  to  this  wall  is 
wound  up  on  a  capstan  on  the  land,  and  the  seals 
are  thus  imprisoned.  They  are  now  given  time  to 
entangle  themselves  in  the  net,  and  so  get  drowned, 
or  the  boat  rows  off  and  the  hunter  shoots  the  seal 
before  taking  it  out  of  the  water;  for  the  seals 
would  bite  badly  if  given  the  chance.  The  net  is 
thirty  to  forty  fathoms  deep,  and  is  set  in  about 
six  to  ten  fathoms  of  water. 

The  last  variety  of  hair  seal  is  known  as  the 
"bay  seal."  It  frequents  the  shores,  bays,  and 
mouths  of  fresh-water  rivers,  up  which  it  breeds, 
all  the  summer,  and  is  caught  either  in  mesh  nets,  or 
shot  from  a  boat  as  it  puts  up  its  head  to  breathe. 
This  feat  is  rendered  more  easy  by  the  natural 
curiosity  of  the  seal.  As  soon  as  it  spies  the  boat 
it  raises  its  head  and  shoulders  out  of  water  to  get 
a  good  view  of  the  stranger.  If  you  now  remain 
quite  still,  and  especially  if  you  can  imitate  the 
"  Hough,  hough "  of  the  animal,  it  will  dive  down 
and  in  a  minute  come  up  nearer  the  boat.  I  have 
been  almost  ashamed  to  shoot  as  it  opened  its  large, 
hum^an  eyes,  so  full  of  inquisitiveness.  "Bang!" 
If  you  are  a  good  shot,  j-our  seal  will  be  dead,  a  bul- 
let through  his  brain,  and  you  must  at  once  row 
and  pick  him  up  Avhile  his  few  kicks  keep  him 
afloat.    I  remember  seeing  one  sink  after  being  shot, 


in 


li 


I        I 


172 


VIKJXGS   OF    TO-DAY 


as  we  rowed  off  to  the  J*n'nccss  May  from  the  shore 
one  day.  \\'e  stopped  over  the  spot,  and  peering 
down  into  the  crystal  water,  could  see  him  ten 
fathoms  down.  Suddenly,  one  last  kick — only  it 
seemed  a  sliu^ht  movement — and  the  carcase  rose  to 
the  surface  lor  the  last  time.  Up,  up  !  We  watched 
it  gyratint^  round  and  round,  and  as  it  reached  the 
surface,  grabbed  hold  of  one  Hipper  and  slunij^  it 
into  the  boat.  We  had  one  or  two  good  meals  off 
that  fellow,  for  we  hung  him  up  from  our  forestay, 
and  the  frosty  air  kept  him  sweet  and  fresh  as  long 
as  we  needed  him.  Had  he  not  arisen  we  should 
have  got  him  up  by  means  of  our  "  jiggers,"  i.e.,  our 
heavy  leaded  hooks. 

The  Eskimo  harpoon  their  seals  from  the  kayak, 
occasionally  shooting  it  hrst;  but  shooting  accurately 
from  a  kayak  is  no  easy  matter.  The  harpoon  is 
made  of  light  wood,  about  three  feet  in  length.  On 
the  end  of  this  is  fixed  a  whole  walrus  tusk,  to  carry 
the  loose  barbed  iron  top,  and  also  to  weight  it  and 
carry  it  truly  home.  As  soon  as  the  seal  is  struck 
it  dives,  taking  the  harpoon  with  it,  but  as  the  har- 
poon is  attached  by  about  twenty  Hithoms  of  walrus 
hide  to  an  inflated  air-tight  seal-skin,  the  hunter 
spies  it,  as  soon  as  it  comes  up,  even  if  it  ever 
succeeds  in  carrying  the  buoy  down.  A  few  strokes 
of  the  paddle  brings  the  kayak  once  more  alongside, 
and  the  seal  is  soon  put  hors  de  combat  with  a  lance, 
lashed  on  the  back  of  the  little  boat,  and  the  hunter 
starts  for  home,  or  it  is  towed  home  alongside  the 


ON   SEALS   AXD  S::.4LERS 


173 


kaj'ak.  When  one  year  old  the  bay  seal  is  called  a 
"  jar  seal,"  and  its  skin  is  poor ;  in  the  second  3'ear 
it  is  a  *'  doter,"  and  becominu:  speckled,  in  the  third 
year,  it  is  a  "  ranp^er,"  and  is  then  very  beautiful, 
being  checkered  silver  and  black  all  over. 


i,! 


Eskimo  in  Reir  deer  Tent,  Okkalc 


CHAPTER   XV 

ON  THE  ESQUIMAUX  OR  ESKIMO 

IT  was  a  still  moonlight  night,  and  the  Albert  lay  at 
anchor  in  one  of  those  numberless  creeks  in  which 
the  venturous  fishermen  hide  away  their  schooners, 
while  in  their  small  boats  they  are  snatching  from 
the  very  edges  of  the  reefs  their  precious  fares  of 
fish. 

We  were  below  decks,  dressing  the  wounds  of  a 
fisherman  in  the  Albert's  little  cabin,  the  only  sounds 
being  the  moan  of  my  patient  or  the  lapping  of  the 
water  against  the  ship's  side,  when  the  silence  was 
suddenly  broken  by  the  sound  as  of  many  voices 
singing.    The  air  was  very  familiar : — 

174 


ON    THE  ESQUIMAUX 


JO 


"  There's  a  land  that  is  fairer  than  day, 
And  by  faith  we  can  see  it  afar, 
For  our  Father  dwells  over  the  way 
To  prepare  us  a  dwelling-place  there." 

^lounting  the  ganp:way,  I  found  the  deck  crowded 
by  a  number  of  the  quaintest  little  figures.  They 
were  dressed  in  skins,  with  snow-white  jumpers 
topped  by  long  pointed  cowls  standing  high  up  over 
their  heads.  Some  sat  cross-legged  on  the  bulwarks 
or  hatches,  while  others,  in  their  seal-skin  boots,  were 
gliding  noiselessly  about  in  the  moonlight,  till  imagi- 
nation conjured  up  "the  merry  elves"  of  childhood. 
The  early  Norsemen  called  them  skrellings  or  weak- 
lings. They  call  themselves  Innuits,  "the  people," 
because  they  say  God  went  on  creating  till  they  ap- 
peared, then  He  was  satisfied,  and  created  no  more. 
Eskimo  =  raw  meat  eater,  and  is  a  term  of  opprobrium 
conferred  on  them  by  the  Indians. 

Soon  all  were  down  in  our  main  hold,  chattering, 
laughing,  and  pleased  as  children,  at  the  Albert's  fit- 
tings and  at  our  attempts  to  understand  their  remarks. 
The  one  that  acted  as  leader  spoke  a  little  broken 
English,  and  from  him  we  learned  that  they  had  come 
from  a  group  of  islands  lying  outside  us  with  some 
boat-loads  of  dry  fish  for  a  planter ;  that  they  had  been 
puzzled  by  our  strange  rig,  and  so  had  come  aboard 
to  see  us. 

When  their  leader  hac  explained  to  them  that  we 
were  a  "  Gospel  ship,"  and  had  things  to  heal  the  sick, 
their  merry,  round,  flat  faces  grew  sunnier  than  ever. 


■ 


I  ■ 


iii  !l 


ili 


i'l 


lilllll 


176 


VIKIXGS   OF   TO-DAY 


All  liciids  were  uncovcM'ccl  tit  once,  displaying;  mops 
of  lonp:  strai.i'ht  black  hair,  cut  fringe-like  level  with 
the  eyebrows.  Then  they  all  broke  out  singini;  a,u:ain, 
squatting  all  round  the  hold  on  their  haunches  or  on 
the  floor,  while,  to  our  surprise,  one  seated  himself  at 
the  harmonium  and  played  it  excellently,  oihers  per- 
forming on  two  concertinas  and  two  cornets.  They 
sang  in  parts  in  their  own  language,  but  hymn  tunes 
well  known  to  us,  so  our  crew  all  Joined  in,  and  kept 
it  up  till  the  watch  called  "All  hands  off  board." 
Since  then  we  have  seen  and  learnt  much  of  this 
simple  people :  "  Uskies "  the  fishermen  call  them, 
and  we  all  like  them  greatly. 

Not  many  heathen  Eskimo  remain  in  Labrador, 
yet  between  Ungava  and  Cape  Chidley  some  are  still 
to  be  found.  They  recognise  a  god  (Tongarsuk\  a 
good  spirit,  and  also  lesser  spirits  (Tongaks\  whom 
he  sends  tu  tell  the  priests  (angekoks)  how  to  heal 
diseases,  and  how  to  tell  the  weather.  The  Devil  is 
a  vague  kind  of  female  spirit,  apparently  unnamed. 
These  angekoks  arc  really  delphic  oracles,  who  make 
supposititious  journeys  to  the  bowels  of  the  earth  to 
consult  Tongarsuk.  The  journey  must  be  in  winter, 
in  the  dark  at  night  time,  and  the  angekok  remains 
alone  in  his  hut  with  his  head  tied  betwTcn  bis  legs, 
and  his  arms  behind  his  back,  while  his  soul  is  off 
to  heaven  or  hell.  To  become  an  angekok  poglit, 
i.e.  fat  priest  or  chief  priest,  his  wandering  spirit 
must  be  dragged  by  one  toe  to  the  sea  by  a  white  bear, 
and  there  swallovred  by  a  sea  lion  and  the  same  white 


O.V    THE   ESQUIMAUX 


•// 


yins  mops 
level  with 
^inS  iijL^Jiin, 
ichcs  or  on 
himself  at 
others  per- 
nets.    Tliey 
hymn  tunes 
in,  iind  kept 
off  board." 
luch  of  this 
I  call  them, 

n  Labrador, 
pme  are  still 
inp,arsuk\  a 
;aks\  whom 
how  to  heal 
he  Devil  is 
y  unnamed. 
,,  who  make 
he  earth  to 
in  winter, 
|:ok  remains 
m  his  legs, 
\  soul  is  off 
:kok  poglit, 
iring   spirit 
white  bear, 
isame  white 


bear.  Then  it  musL  be  spued  up  and  return  to  his 
body,  which  is  shut  up  in  a  dark  house.  A  drum  and 
ether  noises  are  kept  up  during  the  ceremony.' 

They  have  a  vague  iraditioa  of  a  Hood,  saying 
that  the  world  upset  once,  and  all  but  one  man  were 
drowned.  They  prove  this  by  the  fact  of  shells  being 
found  high  above  the  sea,  and  even  the  remains  of  u 
whale  on  a  high  mountain.  They  believe  in  a  future 
life  and  a  happier  one  than  this,  where  there  is  per- 
petual summer,  and  they  locate  it  at  the  bottom  of 
the  sea,  whence  they  get  their  ricl '„'st  possessions, 
or  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth.  Reindeer  are  there 
quite  common,  and  their  beloved  seals  are  ever  ready, 
swimming  in  a  large  boiling  kettle.' 

Nansen  tells  us  they  thought  that  all  inanimate 
objects  had  spirits,  and  that  this  is  the  reason  that 
they  buried  with  the  warrior  his  boat  and  weapons, 
and  often  figures  like  dolls,  possibly  to  represent 
his  wives.  I  found  several  of  these  old  graves,  and 
two  I  examined.  One,  evidently  very  ancient,  was 
perched  on  a  high  central  promontory,  overlooking 
the  entrances  to  two  bays ;  perhaps  in  order  that 
as  the  harp  seals  or  wild  birds  passed,  the  warrior 
might,  even  in  death,  look  down  upon  those  who  of 
yore  so  oft  paid  tribute  to  his  skill.  The  body  in 
every  grave  is  simply  laid  on  the  surface  on  its 
back,  in  its  clothes — in  one  grave  a  female  skeleton 
lay  alongside  a  male  one.  Over  it  is  built  a  rude 
structure  roofed  with  large  flat  stones,   so  that   the 

^   The  Eskimo,  by  Dr.  F.  Nansen. 

N 


I   ! 


1 1  ,  ,  i 


178 


VIA' J  AGS  OF    TO- DAY 


view  shun  Id  be  unobstriKted.  In  11  small  cache 
alon,i»siclc  the  [ibove  ^rave  were  two  wooden  li^ures 
of  lemales,  an  ivory  harpoon  head  and  the  remains 
of  the  shaft,  the  skin-clcn.ning  instruments,  and  the 
remains  of  a  stone  lamp. 

In  another,  further  south,  I  found  an  iron  sword 
tubout  three  feet  long,  used  for  cuttini;-  snow  blocks 
for  snow  houses,  a  dap:ser  with  a  curved  blade, 
II  clasp  knife,  an  old  pot  of  iron,  a  nail  or  needle 
case,  a  lead  buckle  silvered  over,  a  whetstone,  and 
a  few  other  simple  household  implements,  while  in 
each  case  the  remains  of  the  kayak  or  canoe,  the 
paddle  and  the  harpoon  were  lying  near. 

The  skipper  of  ;•  Newfoundland  vessel  told  me 
how  one  of  his  men  took  some  frankincense  from 
one  of  these  graves.  That  night  the  crew  were 
startled  by  one  of  the  hands  shouting  out,  "  There 
is  a  man  in  the  cidMn ! "  though  it  was  all  dark 
at  the  time.  A  kimp  was  lit,  am!  the  same  man 
shouted,  "There  he  goes,  up  the  hatchway!"  The 
others  chaffed  him  and  blew  out  the  light.  Very 
soon  shouts  were  again  heard,  "  There  he  is,  an  Es- 
kimo, searching  in  Tom's  bunk."  After  that  the 
lamp  was  kept  lighted,  and  next  day  the  grave  was 
restored. 

The  early  Moravian  missionaries  found  it  very 
diflicult  to  convey  to  the  Eskimo  the  Bible  teach- 
ings of  our  Saviour's  love  and  of  God  as  our 
Father.  They  had  no  Avord  for  love ;  neither  sheep 
nor  lambs,  seed-time  nor   harvest,  silver   nor  gold 


0-V   7//£ic,i,^,„,^,^. 


'ni-ion.-.nc.s'  ChnVs.-iii.x.   ;  .  ""'"'^■'''«''''-     ^'^    "'c' 
In  '^•.^.  1000  the  Eh','"'''  ™"'''  ""'  -^P-'-ss. 

;'-"  i"  .'.0  -Senuts  'or  B,':,  "%'■"-'-'  -on. 
''well  south  of  ]/opc.cI.„c  '^°*'  °"'>'  "  ''e"- 

°'-  fo  same  stt-ait'  „;,  "T  """"■'■^'  "'"^■^  "«■•"> 
thousand  north  of  livit  ',  ^  ^'  '"'"'  '"«  '°  'ha.. 
n«^n  has  kiiw  them  off  7;  •  '"'  ^^■""  "•'"'- 

.'''/'""-•'a,  hut   usuai,;  i;'  J^r,:/'^  -"""P-  o,- 
f'"--  t«o  racial    tides   not    "''''^"''"-  ^'on-^umption. 

^-  ^"^^  ^.sKin,o  a^arXstT i  "°'^'^'"^''  -' 
^ii«-'  nomad  life  in  ci.;  ^^«^'in:in. 

[o--  wooden  and   mud  h  ttf"';,!'"  "?"  "'^•■'""°""' 
'^="--'  ""-Soly  given  way  t"  n  f       '  *"'''"  ^-'"'"^'^ 
ix-an  «oods.     The  ■'^Z^"'^?'.  T""  """  E'"-"" 
"^  " "our  and  mola.  "s        T^    "'  ''■"■^^■'>'  '•^■"'■''-"1 
nearly  lest,  and  the '  EsMmo  ,  "  '"''  °''  '^'"^"''"^'"S  '-^ 
"•'-   reliant   on    their  ow"      "-'  '''"""'''  '^^  and 
"volihood.  While  o,ns   all    '"'T  °''  ""'^'"""^  - 
--■^hed  the  sup  ,  ":/^:  „  °"-^-  ''--  -a..e,y  di- 
exemplified  around  the  ml"  ''''*'  "'el'   been 

Eskimo  here  had  cler"r?rf"  °''  ^°^"--  T'^ 
"-"•  -PPlies  from  t^^l,^,"""  '"■  ^"■-nf^  out 
'•■adea  their  fish  and  ^  S'  """  '"'  '^'^'""'>- 
Bay  station  at  Davis  Inler     t!  "'""''^  ^"''son 

debts,  Which  event     1  ;l  IZ  '"''  '''''  "^  '-^- 
ereasc.    Soon  after,  wMe  two  m    '• '  '"'''''''  '°  '"" 

'    >"iie  tHo  missionaries  were  in 


!  : 


i 


hi 


1.^0 


VIKIXCS   01'    10- DA  V 


t      \ 


tlic  sloiv,  somi'  Inilkts  wtrc  lii\J  li^lil  iliroii-'li  ihc 
wooJcii  walls.  I'orlunakly  lU)  (uu-  was  liuri.  I'.iit 
bad  Ic'clini^s  had  bevn  rousccl,  and  al  la^l  il  was 
loiiiid  iicwNsary  to  close  llk-sc  stores  alli'.m-'lliLi', 
with  the  ivsiilt  that  lliu  l^skimo  haw  Ivni  oh/i\m'it 
to  li'iirc,  and  slay  wIkto  ihcy  could  buy  provisions 
at  hand;  and  now  the  l^skimo  arc  all  uonc,  and 
the  whole  station  is  closed  lor  s^ood.  Hut  this  '\^. 
only  what  ci\  ili/alion  has  done  lor  aboiMuinal  races 
all  the  world  over. 

'I'hank  (Jod  that  in  this  case  the  Closixl  both  i'>rc- 
ceded  and  accompanied  commerce.  To  this  alone 
I  attribute  the  fact  that  after  over  j;o  years  anv 
of  the  Kskimo  do  now  remain.  The  Gospel  has 
been  received.  Many  have  passed  from  darkness 
to  li.ulu,  and  so  are  in  a  position  to  correspond  to 
or  resist  the  new  environment  of  white  men's  cus- 
toms and  white  men's  whisky.  True  the  I^Nkimo  in 
Labrador  are  bein^"  slowly  driven  to  a  last  stand. 
Thank  God  that  stand  is  at  Ramidi,  Hebron,  Okkak, 
Ilopedale  and  Nain,  around  the  devoted  Ghrisliin 
missionaries  of  the  Moravian  brethren,  who  for 
Christ's  sake  spend  their  lives  amon<^'  the  hard- 
ships of  this  bleak  and  barren  coast ;  and  while 
lieothicks  and  Red  Indians  have  fallen  victims  to 
the  God  of  mammon,  remnants  of  this  gentle  and 
harmless  race  still  persist.  Take  awiiy  these  Mora- 
vians from  Labrador,  and  the  days  of  the  Eskimo 
would  soon  be  numbered. 

In  the  eleventh    century   Thorfinn   Karlsefne    de- 


EI. 


hvoiv 
hurl. 


r.ut 


y  \M- 


(' 


(,liu,i'il 


o 


vi>"u)ns 


\\     «J,()1H', 


iikI 


:>! 


i:v) 


VC'llVS   i 


vny 


IL' 


Gospel    bus 
davkiu'ss 

pOlKl    to 


liom 


corrcs 


\i 


ic  nu'ii  s 


cus- 


i\k 


l-:>Uimo  in 


last  st 


And. 


Icbron, 


OUUal< 


^otcd  Christian 
hrcn,    Nvbo    lor 


the    U^^vd- 
iind   ^vhile 


ionti; 

1st; 

lien   victims 


to 


this  ge 


Liy 


these 


ntle  and 
Moru- 


of  the  Eskimo 


Karlsefne 


de- 


^'^ 


tix 


ill 


Wf 


II     I! 


! 


*i 


iiii 


ON    THE   ESQUIMAUX 


183 


scribes  the  Skniellin,2:,s  as  "  black  and  ill-favoured, 
with  coarse  hair  on  their  heads,  and  larce  eyes,  with 
broad  cheeks."  Cartwrii^ht,  writinii;  in  1790,  says 
they  were  quarrelsome  amoni;'  one  another,  and 
occasionally  thievish.  Cranz,  in  1760,  says  they 
were  degraded,  immoral,  and  brutish  in  their  heathen 
state.  Nansen  thinks  they  led  an  ideal  socialistic 
life,  but  founded,  I  think,  rather  on  a  basis  of  inevi- 
table union  against  starvation  in  bad  times  than  on 
a  basis  of  Divine  and  brotherly  love.  They  appear 
ever  to  have  been  simple  and  confiding.  Karlsefne 
says  they  came  to  visit  hii^  men  in  Vinland  and 
began  to  barter. 

"These  people  would  rather  have  red  cloth  than 
anything  else ;  for  this  they  gave  skins  and  real 
furs.  For  an  entire  fur-skin  the  Skraellings  took  a 
piece  of  red  cloth  a  span  long,  an'l  oound  it  round 
their  heads.  Thus  went  on  trafhc  lor  a  time,  then 
the  cloth  began  to  fall  short  among  Karlsefne  and 
his  people,  and  they  cut  it  asunder  into  small 
pieces,  which  were  not  wider  than  the  breadth  of  a 
finger,  and  still  the  Skraellings  gave  just  as  much 
as  before,  and  more.'' 

According  to  our  code  they  arc  very  immoral,  yet 
seeing  the  conduct  of  white  men  to  one  another  and 
to  themselves  they  always  say  of  a  good  man,  "  He 
is  like  an  Innuit "  (Eskimo  1.  They  themselves  have 
no  words  for  cursing,  and  Nansen  says  also  no 
words  of  opprobrium,  such  as  liar,  scoundrel,  or 
rowdy.    Recently  one  in  the  far  north  of  Labrador, 


Mi  ■: 


illlHii 


hi 


1B4 


VIKINGS   OF    TO  DAY 


who  already  had  seven  wives,  stole  his  son-in-law's 
wife  also— that  is  his  own  daughter.  The  younger 
man  bided  his  time,  and  then  shot  the  older  one  off 
his  guard.  Some  twenty  years  ago  a  number  came 
south  to  the  most  northern  Moravian  station.  One 
had  cut  on  his  gun-stock  many  notclies.  On  being 
asked  what  these  meant,  he  explained  they  indi- 
cated so  many  men  craftily  shot.  On  being  told  it 
was  wrong,  he  promised  not  to  do  it  again.  Poly- 
gamy is  now  done  away  with,  and  it  is  only  in 
their  fishing-tents  that  different  families  sleep  to- 
gether. In  some  tents  I  visited  the  only  separations 
were  marks  made  on  the  ground. 

Yet  they  have  learnt  to  repent  of  wrong-doing, 
and  all  their  outbreaks  have  ended  in  asking  for 
forgiveness.  They  confess  even  murder  to  the  mis- 
sionaries. I  have  met  four  who  have  done  so. 
In  all  spiritual  matters  they  implicitly  accept  the 
Brethren's  teaching;  nor  do  they  ever  question  the 
authority  of  the  Bible;  e.g.^  one  man  had  a  very 
refractory  boy,  who  was  always  annoying  his 
teacher,  and  wilfully  disturbing  the  whole  school. 
His  father  refused  to  punish  him,  for  he  said  he 
thought  that  must  be  wrong  for  a  Christian.  Nor 
would  he  alter  his  decision  till  Solomon's  maxim 
on  that  point  was  shown  him  in  black  and  white. 
He  then  at  once  adopted  Solomon's  view  of  the 
matter,  and  ''appealed  to  his  son's  feelings"  with 
a  piece  of  walrus  hide. 

Other  enemies,  besides  civilization,  have  helped  to 


i 


son-in-law's 
[he  younger 
Dlder  one  off 
lumber  came 
station.    One 
s.    On  being 
1    they    irK-^i- 
being  told  it 
again.    Poly- 
it  is  only  in 
lies    sleep    to- 
lly separations 

•  wrong-doing, 
in  asking  for 
[er  to  the  mis- 
lave    clone    so. 
tly  accept  the 
:r  question  the 
|n   had  a  very 
annoying     his 
whole    school, 
[or  he   said  he 
[hristian.      Nor 
,mon's    maxim 
ck  and  white, 
view  of   the 
feelings"   with 

have  helped  to 


lA 


ON    THE   ESQUIMAUX 


IS: 


deplete  the  Eskimo  race.  The  early  Vikings  harried 
them  on  their  visits  to  the  coast.  Thorlinn  Karlscfne 
mentions  finding  live  Skraellings  sleeping  under  a 
boat.  He  adds,  his  men  killed  them ;  and  similar 
incidents  occurred  to  others  of  these  rovers.  The 
Indians  of  the  interior  have  always  been  hostile  to 
them,  and  in  their  battle.^  with  these  the  Eskimo 
have  generally  come  off  second  best. 

We  were  shown  the  spot  where  tradition  has  it 
the  Eskimo  and  Montaignais  Indians  fought  their 
last  fight  for  mastery.  A  story  to  which  the  lindin^;- 
of  many  stone  arrow  heads  and  knives  lends  some 
colour.  Off  the  mouth  of  a  long  river  lies  a  large 
island,  with  a  smooth  central  plain,  rising  at  each 
end  to  high  broken  rocks.  On  the  outer  end  clustered 
the  humble  huts  of  the  Eskimos,  with  their  fishing- 
gear  lying  around.  One  night,  under  cover  of  dark- 
ness, the  Mountaineers  crept  stealthily  down  the 
river  in  their  large,  double-ended,  birch  war-canoLs, 
and  effected  a  landing,  dragging  the  canoes  up  after 
them,  and  then  hiding  themselves  among  the  rocks. 
Next  day,  however,  the  wary  little  Eskimo  discovered 
their  arrival,  and  pluckily  determined  to  attack  them 
at  once.  It  is  easy  to  picture  the  wild  scene  that 
followed.  No  doubt  the  little  warriors  fought  des- 
perately ;  but,  against  their  taller  and  more  powerful 
adversaries,  were  at  a  great  disadvaniaiiv  in  a  hand 
to  hand  conflict.  M;iny  having  fallen  in  the  open, 
the  remnant  sought  cover  among  the  rocks  at  the 
outer  end  of  the   island,  only   to   be   dislodged   and 


■{ 


.»  { 


!!,  I 


f\ 


;1 


ii>: 


I     I 


.'?jr^ 


I 


.1 


I  lli 


ll 


!i«li!ll 


li'i! 


1 86 


VIKINGS  OF    TODAY 


driven  back  towards  the  sea.  Here,  no  doubt,  the 
squaws — Avho  still  dress  like  men  and  partake  in  all 
the  expeditions— helped  them  to  make  one  last  stand 
for  home  and  children.  Then  came  the  skurry  to 
the  beach.  Behind  are  the  ruthless,  bloodthirsty 
"braves,"  in  front  the  mighty  ocean.  Picture  the 
tin}''  skin-boats,  manned  by  the  few  survivors,  dart- 
ing out  through  Atlantic  surf,  with  probably  wife 
and  child  hurriedly  lashed  on  the  back,  as  they  do 
sometimes  at  the  present  day.  Think  of  the  tragedies 
enacted,  as  perhaps  some  obstacle  prevented  the 
kayaks  getting  awa^  —some  refractory  child,  some 
accident  to  the  frail  craft  at  the  last  moment.  With 
fiendish  yells  the  Indians  are  hurrying  over  the 
beach  towards  them,  more  horrible  from  their  weird 
war-paint.  History  only  says  the  settlement  was 
exterminated. 

Starvation  also  has  lessened  their  numbers.  Near 
Sir  Leopold  McClintock's  winter  quarters — where  the 
darkness  lasted  for  three  months — were  camped  some 
Eskimo.  These  people  had  neither  fires  nor  lights. 
Living  in  snow  huts,  into  which  they  craw^led  on 
their  bellies  through  long  snow  tunnels,  they  lay 
huddled  on  one  another  for  the  sake  of  the  warmth. 
Their  clothes  were  of  duck-skins  and  other  feathers 
inside,  and  seal-skin  outside.  No  wood  existed  any- 
where near.  Their  food  consisted  of  raw  seal  meat, 
buried  deep  outside.  Whenever  hungry,  they  w^ould 
crawl  out,  eat  about  four  pounds  of  raw  meat,  and 
crawl  back  and  sleep  again  as  long  as  possible — 


ON   THE  ESQUIMAUX 


187 


almost  hibernating  like  the  black  bear.  What  would 
happen  when  the  polar  bear  got  at  their  meat  sup- 
plies, as  he  was  only  too  likely  to  do  ? 

Only  this  year  (1894)  the  crew  of  the  whaler  Balaena 
brought  to  Dundee  the  horrible  details  of  what  might 
well  be  expected.  The  Balaena' s  crew  discovered  on 
the  shore,  in  a  place  far  removed  from  all  animal  life, 
the  dead  bodies  of  three  Eskimos,  and  a  number  of 
bleached  human  bones.  These  three — two  men  and  one 
woman — wxre  evidently  the  last  survivors  of  a  larger 
party.  Near  to  the  bodies  three  human  heads  were 
noticed — in  each  case  the  throat  had  been  cut  and 
savagely  hacked  with  a  knife,  while  the  brains  had 
been  extracted  through  a  hole  in  the  skull.  A 
smashed  rifle  and  a  bow  and  arrows  were  lying  near, 
and  all  the  evidences  of  a  severe  struggle  between 
the  last  two  male  survivors.  A  blood-stained  knife 
was  taken  from  the  woman's  hand.  It  is  probable 
the  party  had  been  waiting  here  (Elwin  Bay)  for 
the  arrival  of  the  whalers  in  1893.  Alas !  ice  had 
prevented  their  coming,  and  at  last,  among  the 
patiently-expectant  little  people,  an  awful  tragedy 
had  been  enacted. 

Less  dramatic  incidents  also  occur  in  Eskimo  life. 
Thus,  in  one  case  recently,  an  old  tyrant  had  appro- 
priated the  line  new  kayak  of  a  poorer  man ;  and  soon 
afier  this  poor  fellow  was  drowned  while  shooting 
deer  out  of  his  old  canoe,  of  which  the  skin  covering 
was  rotten.  His  son,  a  young  fellow  under  twenty, 
remained  quiet  a  long  time.    One  day,  however,  he 


('  ^ 


!ii!i! 


iSS 


VIKI\GS   OF    TO- DA  Y 


wjis  taken  out  huntinc^  by  the  old  man.  Whilst 
crossing  a  wide  river  on  the  ice,  the  son  dropped 
behind  a  step  and  blew  the  other's  brains  out. 

On  one  or  two  occasions  they  have  combined  to 
attack  the  Moravian  Brethren.  Thus  in  Hebron,  on 
one  occasion,  they  shut  the  missionaries  up  in  their 
house,  not  allowing  them  even  to  go  and  get  water, 
demanding  that  all  the  goods  in  the  store  should  be 
handed  over  to  them.  No  resistance  was  made,  ex- 
cept that  the  store  was  kept  locked.  At  the  end 
of  three  days,  which  the  Brethren  had  spent  in 
prayc  r,  conviction  vseized  the  Eskimo,  and  they  came 
and  said  they  were  very  sorr3^ 

No  stretch  of  imagination  could  call  them  an 
emotional  people ;  some  are  almost  fatalists,  and  all 
are  easily  satisfied  and  careless  of  the  morrow\  One 
day  an  Eskimo  guide  accompanied  me  out  fishing.  It 
so  happened  that  rain  fell  in  great  quantities,  and  as 
he  had  left  his  skin  "  kossack,"  or  jumper,  at  home,  he 
might  reasonably  have  been  expected  to  seek  shelter 
under  one  of  the  many  rocks  while  I  fished.  Not  so. 
He  remained  seated  all  the  time  out  in  the  rain  as  if 
he  were  a  mushroom.  Late  at  night,  after  he  had 
gone  home,  he  came  off  again  in  his  "kayak"  to  the 
ship  to  see  me.  "  My  boy  dead,"  he  said.  "  Why 
did  you  not  tell  me  he  was  ill  ?  You  knew  we  had 
medicine."     "  No  good  ;   must  die,"  he  replied. 

I  went  next  morning  to  see  the  funeral.  The 
Moravians  have  taught  them  to  bury  beneath  the 
surface.     A  hole  had  been  dug  in  the  sandy  ground ; 


ox    THE   ESQUIMAi'X 


iS^) 


the  body  was  put  in,  iind  the  .urave  filled  up  with 
sand.  An  hour  later  not  a  sign  remained  to  mark 
the  spot.  It  would  never  suggest  itself  to  them  to 
visit  it. 

In  1790,  Cart  Wright,  falling  in  love  with  an  Eskimo 
girl,  asked  her  hand   from  her  husband   Kketeheak, 


had 


ife  hi 


another 

is  no  good  to  work.  Have  this  one  and  her  two 
children,"  Cartwright  declined,  saying  he  preferred 
the  3'ounger.  "  Take  them  all  then,"  said  the  gener- 
ous husband.  Cartwright  explained  he  did  not  wish 
to  trespass  too  much  on  his  kindness.  "Oh,  you 
can  give  them  back  at  the  end  of  the  year  if  you 
don't  want  to  kcvp  them." 

While  we  were  in  Okkak,  an  elderly  squaw  came 
to  be  treated  for  shaking  of  the  knees.  It  appeared 
that  she  had  never  before  seen  a  stetimboat,  and  had 
received  a  severe  fright  at  the  arrival  of  the  Princess 
May ;  for  she  thought  it  was  a  man-of-war  come  to 
punish  her  son  Rudolph,  who  some  time  previously 
had  shot  his  wife,  being  tired  of  her.  Since  that  in- 
cident Rudolph  had  become  a  Christian,  but,  as  his 
crime  was  still  unpunished,  by  Moravian  rule  he 
could  not  be  admitted  to  their  communion. 

Remorse  seemed  to  have  seized  him,  and  his  one 
desire  now  w^as  that  his  crime  might  be  expiated 
by  receiving  its  punishment  at  the  hand  of  man. 
Naturally  his  mother  was  anxious. 

This  lack  of  emotion  seems  to  prevent  a  due  ap- 
preciation  of  the   principle  of   seM'-sacrihce.      Thus, 


■(  I 


^ 


I  w 


t  I!  i 


mm. 


1 1 


If 


190 


VIKIXGS   OF   TODAY 


one  day,  Avhile  a  heavy  storm  was  ra^inu:,  some 
of  those  ashore  noticed  a  party  in  great  distress, 
endeavouring  to  reach  the  mainland  in  one  of  their 
smaller  boats.  A  heavy  surf  was  rollinu;  in,  and 
it  would  no  doubt  have  been  risky  to  go  out.  So 
the  idea  of  a  rescue  seems  never  to  have  suggested 
itself.  The  people  were  drowned,  and  in  telling  the 
story  themselves  afterwards,  they  said,  shrugging 
their  shoulders,  "  Kujana,"  meaning,  "  It  must  be," 
or  "  I  don't  care  for  it " — a  solution  which  to  them 
is  perfectly  satisfactor}-. 

Yet  they  do  at  times  brave  deeds.  Once  last  win- 
ter Michael  md  Simeon  (they  never  have  two 
names)  in  crossing  from  an  island. in  their  kayaks, 
wxre  overtaken  by  a  kind  of  blizzard.  Simeon  be- 
came unconscious  and  capsized.  Michael,  though 
himself  almost  in  extremis,  and  having  only  his 
tiny  kayak  to  light  the  storm  in,  managed  to  get 
Lis  friend  out  of  the  boat — into  which  they  are 
usually  laced — to  put  him  on  the  back  of  his  own 
canoe,  and  to  carry  him  safely  to  land.  Needless  to 
say  no  Albert  medal  rewarded  his  brave  deed.  Un- 
fortunately, the  art  of  using  the  ka3'ak  is  rapidly 
becoming  lost,  largely  because  the  foolish  Eskimo 
part  with  the  seal-skins,  necessary  to  cover  their 
boats,  in  exchange  for  cheap  and  useless  European 
goods.  At  one  time,  with  their  skin  kossack  or  coat, 
laced  over  the  opening,  and  fast  round  their  wrists 
and  face,  they  could  upset  with  impunity,  for  with 
a  couple  of  deft  strokes  with  their  paddles  they  were 


ox    THE   ESQUIMAVS. 


191 


^■in<r,  some 

It  distress, 

nc  or  their 

n*4   in,  and 

TO  out.    i^o 
e  sup;p;ested 

tellini:;  the 
,  shrui^uiinp; 
t  must  be," 
lich  to  them 

ice  last  ^vin- 
;r  have    two 
heir  kayaks, 
Simeon  be- 
hael,  though 
ing    only  his 
aged  to  get 
loh   they    are 
of  his  own 
Needless  to 
e  deed.    Un- 
k   is   rapidly 
jolish  Eskimo 
cover  their 
ss  European 
Issack  or  coat, 
their  wrists 
Lity,  for  wnth 
Lies  they  were 


soon  right  \vay  up  again.  Indeed,  in  heavy  seas 
they  would  purposely  upset,  and  so  get  the  force 
of  the  broken  water  on  the  bottom  or  side  of  their 
boat,  righting  themselves  immediately  the  danger 
had  p.'issed.  In  sport  one  kayak  would  "leap-frog" 
over  another;  or  turning  over  on  one  side  the 
"kayak  man"  wouk'  right  himself  on  the  other  in 
their  merry  dexterity.  Alas !  that  so  marvellous 
an  adaptation  to  the  necessities  of  their  lives  should 
ever  be  relegated  to  a  forgotten  past.  Broken 
water  does  them  no  more  harm  than  it  would  to  a 
swimming  seagull,  so  exquisite  is  their  buoj'ancy. 

Generosity  and  vanity  form  [i  queer  combination 
in  many  of  them.  On  one  occasion,  a  family,  which 
had  long  been  struggling  for  the  mere  necessaries 
of  daily  life,  w^ere  fortunate  enough  to  catch  in  their 
large  stone  trap  a  black  fox.  With  tears  of  joy 
the  father  took  the  skjn  to  the  store.  God  had 
heard  his  praj'ers.  He  was  credited  with  £9  worth 
of  goods.  When  he  got  home,  however,  the  well- 
lilled  cupboard  so  lilled  his  heart  wdth  vanity  that 
he  issued  an  invitation  to  all  his  acquaintances  "to 
come  and  eat  and  stay  with  him."  In  two  days 
the  supplies  ran  out,  and  already  again  the  wolf  of 
hunger  besieged  his  doors. 

In  another  case  a  Newfoundland  planter  had  left 
an  Eskimo  in  charge  of  his  stores  during  the  winter, 
giving  him  for  himself  a  more  than  generous  winter's 
diet.  Soon  his  friends,  with  their  chronic  state  of 
hunger,  came  to  pay  him  a  visit.    Without  a  thought 


:■  .  i 


! 


■KSB 


m\ 


■'    y 


;;l 


III 


192 


VIKIXGS   OF    TO-DAY 


as  to  consequences,  the  visit  w;is  prolon.ii'ed  inde- 
finitely, and  soon  tlie  wliole  of  tiiem  were  without 
provisions.  The  usual  course  to  adopt  next  is.  to 
drive  on  and  visit  the  nearest  settlement,  till  all 
alike  are  "commercial  travellers"  in  the  siime  line 
of  business.  No  wonder  there  is  an  l^skimo  saying, 
"Do  rot  live   near   the   komalilc   (or  sleigh j   track." 

Loyalty  is  said  to  be  a  marked  feature  in  the 
Eskimo.  They  fully  believed  at  Hopedale  that  Iler 
Majesty  the  Queen  sits  on  a  rock  on  the  look-out — 
as  they  do — in  her  anxiety  for  the  iirrival  of  the 
mission  ship  Jlarmoiy.  We  were  chari^ed  with  many 
personal  messages  by  them  to  the  Queen,  expressiny: 
their  deep  sense  of  gratitude  for  sending  the  Albert 
out  to  them. 

When  they  heard  the  English  were  at  wiir  in 
Egypt,  they  organized  ua  impromptu  regiment,  with 
a  captain  in  a  discarded  policeman's  coat  and  one 
odd  epaulet,  with  which  they  proposed  to  the  mis- 
sionaries they  should  proceed  to  the  Seat  of  war. 
Indeed,  they  took  no  denial,  and  continued  to  drill 
till  the  opening  of  the  sea  turned  their  attention 
once  more  to  cod-fishing. 

I  must  now  close  my  few  remarks  about  this 
interesting  people.  Some  of  their  habits,  which  to 
us  are  more  repellant,  I  have  purposely  passed  over 
— such  as  their  predilection  lor  their  meat  to  be 
"  mikkiak,"  or  partly  rotten,  and  their  uncleanliness. 
What  we  saw  of  the  Eskimo  \ve  liked  :  their  grati- 
tude for  kindnesses  done;    their  fortitude  under  the 


ON    THE   ESQUIMAUX 


193 


mvd  inJc- 
re  without 
next  is .  to 
nt,  till   all 
I  same  line 
mo  sayinji, 
oh)   track." 
lure   in  the 
le  that  Her 
Li  look-out- 
rival of   the 
a  with  many 
[1,  expressing 
ig  the  AlOert 

at  "vvar  in 
xriment,  with 
:oat  and  one 

to  the  mis- 
keat  of  war. 
lued  to  drill 
[eir  attention 

about    this 

|lts,  which  to 

passed  over 

meat  to  be 

mcleanliness. 

their  grati- 

Ic  under  the 


knife,  or  in  piiin;  their  merriment  and  ^ood-nature 
often  under  circumstances  most  depressing.  When 
talkinj;'  to  a  dyinjL;  Eskimo  of  forty-live,  who  for  a 
fortnight  had  lain  in  terrible  a^ony  with  his  hands 
blown  off,  I  asked  the  poor  fellow  if  the  pain  was 
unbearable.  He  answered  simply,  "It  is  nothing 
to  what  my  Saviour  bore  in  the  Garden  for  me." 
His  last  words  were  singing  Zinzendorfs  beautiful 
hymn : — 


'*  Jesus,  day  by  day, 
Ciuide  us  on  our  way." 


It  continues: — 


"Should  the  path  us  grieve, 

Thee  we'll  never  leave  ; 
Lord,  in  days  of  greatest  sadness, 
Let  us  bear  our  cross  with  gladness  ; 

Trials  mark  the  road 

Leading  home  to  God. 

e\\l  our  steps  attend. 

Guide  us  to  the  end  ; 
Should  the  way  be  rough  and  dreary. 
With  Thy  strength  support  the  weary  ; 

When  our  race  is  o'er. 

Open,  Lord,  Thy  door." 


il 


I'll- 


1 


1*1 


ill 


^li 


CHAPTER    XVI 

T//E   DEEDS  OF  HEROES 

SOME  18,000  people  cluster  around  the  shores  of 
Trinity  Hay,  their  scattered  vilUi^u:es  and  fishin.u" 
hamlets  nestlin.i;'  on  its  creeks  and  coves.  It  was  in 
February.  The  Ice  Kinj^  had  laid  his  iron  hand 
even  on  the  giant  ocean,  and  the  Hoc  ice  of  the 
frozen  sea  stretched  far  beyond  the  e3^e's  horizon. 
Yet  these  boldest  among  England's  sea-loving  sons 
were  adding  to  their  scanty  stock  of  this  world's 
goods  by  venturing  far  out  among  the  treacherous 
ice  in  pursuit  of  seals. 

The  morning  of  the  27th  broke  bright  and  beau- 
tiful, enhanced  by  a  clear  space  of  deep  blue  water 
between  the  shore  and  the  iniier  edge  of  the  ice. 
The  eager  hunters  were  early  astir,  and  snatching 
a  hasty  breakfast,  were  soon  off  in  their  little  boats, 
being  but  lightl}-  clad,  to  give  their  limbs  freer 
play  in  the  various  vicissitudes  of  their  calling. 

From  Trinity,  Green  Bay,  Ireland's  Eye,  boat 
glided  out  after  boat,  as  the  crack  of  the  guns  of 
those  first  afloat  told  of  a  prospect  of  success,  until 
over  220  men  were  out.    *'  'Tis  a  strange  and  awful 

»94 


THE  DEEDS  OF  JlEh'OES 


193 


the  shores  oi 
;s  unci  ashinii 
.g.    It  wiis  in 
is    iron    bund 
oc  ice   of  the 
eye's  horizon. 
,ca-loving  sons 
f  this  world's 
he  treacherous 

Ight  and  beau- 
:ep  blue  water 
re  of  the  ice. 
find  snatchinc; 
leir  little  boats, 
]r    limbs    freer 
calling. 

Ivs  Eye,  boat 
If  the  guns  of 
f  success,  until 
Inge  and  awful 


thinp:  to  think,  how  often   mortality   stands  on   the 
brink  of  its  ^rave  without  any  misgiving." 

Suddenly  a  dark  cloud  appeared  in  the  north  cast, 
Nvith  incredible  rapidity  masses  piled  themselves 
together,  and  then  in  a  moment,  from  the  heart  of 
the  black  battalions,  the  tempest  leaped  in  fury, 
struck  the  now  darkened  waters,  and  converted  the 
bay  into  a  seething,  hissing  cauldron.  The  tempera- 
ture fell  forty  degrees,  and  the  lierce  cold,  with  the 
piercing  wind,  seemed  to  freeze  the  very  blood  in 
the  veins.  Gust  followed  gust,  each  more  furious 
than  the  last,  driving  the  angry  sea  in  foam-capped 
mountains  on  to  the  doomed  licet  of  boats.  Now 
began  a  desperate  struggle  for  life,  enough  to  appal 
the  stoutest  hearts.  Two  altcrnjitives  only  were 
possible — first  to  face  the  teeth  of  the  gale  and  row 
for  their  homes  on  the  north  shore ;  or,  secondly,  run 
before  it,  and  endeavour  to  clamber  over  the  ice  to 
the  southern  side  of  the  bay.  Six  boats  tried  the 
former.  The  spray,  freezing  as  it  fell,  drenched  the 
men  to  their  skin,  covering  both  boats  and  men  with 
casings  of  solid  ice.  Slowly  and  painfully,  in  ter- 
rible danger  each  moment  of  being  swamped,  they 
lessened  the  distance  between  themselves  and  the 
shore.  Suddenly  a  cry  of  despair  arose  from  one  of 
the  boats — the  oars  had  snapped,  and  the  boat  was 
drifting  to  certain  destruction.  Without  a  thought 
of  the  peril  of  the  delay,  and  from  the  increased 
burden  they  would  have  to  carry^  the  nearest  boat 
at  once  went  to  their  aid,  and  in  that  terrible  sea 


'('  "TSSSii 


196 


VIKINGS  OF   TO-DAY 


took  the  perishing  men  on  board.  One  of  the  poor 
fellows,  however,  was  soon  dead  from  cold  and 
exhaustion.  Ice  began  to  form  in  thick  masses  on 
the  bow  and  sides  of  the  deeply-laden  boat,  and  as 
each  wave  struck  her  she  rose  more  and  more 
heavily,  until  all  saw  the  immediate  need  of  lighten- 
ing the  boat.  With  s;cd,  mute  faces  the  men  looked 
at  each  other.  The  dead  man  lay  at  the  bottom  of 
the  boat,  his  white  face  and  unclosed  eyes  turned 
towards  the  sky,  "Come,  boys,"  said  the  oldest  man, 
"  it  can't  be  helped ;  Isaac  must  go  overboard  or  we 
shall  all  be  drowned."  Rapidly  they  raised  the  body, 
now  draped  in  its  icy  shroud.  "  In  the  name  of  God 
we  commit  this  body  to  the  deep  in  sure,  and  certain 
hope  of  resurrection.  Amen."  A  dull  plash  and  the 
reverent  funeral  service  was  over.  The  boat  seemed 
now  to  float  more  buoyantly ;  but  after  another 
hour's  struggle  for  life,  the  brother  of  him  whose 
remains  had  already  been  given  to  the  sea,  breathed 
his  last.  No  doubt  the  horror  of  the  scene  had 
hastened  his  end.  The  sad  ceremoni^.l  had  to  be 
repeated  at  once,  for  the  ice 'was  fast  gaining  and 
sinking  the  boat. 

Benumbed  and  exhausted  in  this  death  battle,  all 
hope  was  nearly  over  when  from  ihe  foremost  boat 
a  cry  was  raised  which  put  fresh  courage  in  their 
hearts — Land,  ho  !  It  was  the  well-known  "  Horse 
Chop  "  rocks.  Another  desperate  effort,  and  at  last 
their  keels  touched  the  strand.  But,  alas!  for  the 
poor  fellows  even  then.    Some,  unable  even  to  leave 


THE   DEEDS   OF   HEROES 


197 


f  the  poor 

cold  and 
masses  on 
xit,  and  as 

and    more 
,  of  lightcn- 
men  looked 
te  bottom  of 
eyes  turned 
I  oldest  man, 
rboard  or  we 
;cd  the  body, 
name  of  God 
i,  and  certain 
plash  and  the 

boat  seemed 

Lfter    another 
^f  him  whose 

sea,  breathed 
Le    scene   had 

:\  had   to  be 
gaining  and 

ith  battle,  all 
I  foremost  boat 
irage  in  their 
[nown  "Horse 
rt,  and  at  last 
[alas'    for  the 
1  even  to  leave 


the  boats  till  helped  by  their  companions,  staggered 
feebly  ashore,  and  tried  to  a"awl  up  the  steep  gulch 
from  their  landing  place ;  but  strength  failed  them, 
and  four  more  died  after  landing.  It  was  a  sad 
ending  to  so  brave  a  fight. 

Deeds  worthy  of  the  highest  praise  were  enacted  in 
that  gulch  that  day,  the  stronger  helping  the  weaker, 
jind  endeavouring  to  restore  and  encourage  those 
who  were  abandoning  themselves  to  death.  One 
tells  how  ''I  saw  Robert  Bannister  manage  to  crawl 
partly  up  the  cliff  on  his  hands  iind  knees.  At  last 
he  just  stopped,  said,  '  God  bless  us,'  and  died  where 
he  was.  His  son  was  lying  dead  near  him."  The 
nearest  house  was  two  miles  away,  but  three  men 
had  now  spied  them.  Hastily  making  a  fire  of  brush- 
wood, they  helped  the  still  living  up  the  cliff,  and 
putting  some  of  their  own  garments  on  them,  nursed 
some  back  to  life — but  h<  re  two  more  poor  fellows 
perished,  while  their  rescuers  carried  or  helped 
them  over  that  long  two  miles.  Not  one  but 
suffered  terribly  from  , frost-bite,  especially  one  poor 
lellow  who  had  given  his  mittens  to  a  lad  without 
any. 

There  were  still  twenty-four  boats  missing.  What 
of  them?  Ice-covered,  frost-bitten,  and  exhausted, 
some  had  reached  harbours  in  the  great  bay,  situated 
not  so  directly  in  the  teeth  of  the  storm;  but  of 
those  who  made  for  Bona  venture.  Deer  Harbour, 
Thoroughfare,  and  Ireland's  Eye,  only  one  had  died 
in  the  boat.      But  now  deeds  of  even  greater  hero- 


,11. 


1 


198 


VIKINGS  OF   TO-DAY 


IV 


(IjIPlit! 


ism  were  called  for  and  performed.  The  men  from 
Ireland's  Eye  found  that  far  out  in  the  storm  were 
men  from  English  Harbour  and  Salmon  Cove,  who 
could  not  possibly  reach  home,  and  who  might  be 
sheltering  on  some  off-lying  tninhabited  island,  cer- 
tain to  perish  during  the  night  unless  help  were  forth- 
coming. Food  was  partaken  of,  a  brief  rest  snatched, 
God's  protecting  care  besought,  and  once  more  these 
heroes  of  the  sea  went  out  silently  into  that  raging 
storm,  from  which  they  had  but  just  escaped  with 
their  lives.  *'  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  unto  the  least  of 
these,  My  brethren,  ye  did  it  unto  Me."  Two  boats 
were  manned,  and  after  fruitless  search  one  returned 
safely,  but  empty  handed,  to  the  shelter  of  the  har- 
bour. The  other,  through  the  darkness  of  the  ftiUing 
night,  saw  at  length  a  small  light  oii  a  desolate  spot 
near  Thoroughfare.  Fierce  joy  burnt  in .  those  noble 
hearts,  as  they  strained  every  sinew  to  drive  their 
stubborn  craft  through  the  now  almost  forgotten 
dangers.  Alas,  a  sorrowful  sight  aw\aited  them. 
There  in  their  boat  on  the  beach,  amidst  the  roar  of 
the  storm,  and  the  thunder  of  the  surf,  lay  two  poor 
fellows  silent  in  death — swathed  in  their  winding 
sheet  of  ice,  and  fast  frozen  to  their  boat.  By  the 
fire  were  three  fishermen,  half  dead  themselves,  try- 
ing to  rekindle  the  spark  of  life  in  two  of  their  fast 
dying  comrades.  All  were  taken  back  by  the  rescue 
party,  and  the  living  nursed  back  to  life  at  the  near- 
est cottage.  It  was  enough  to  move  the  most  cynical 
to  tears — wives  and  mothers  wildly  wringing  their 


THE   DEEDS   OF   HEROES 


199 


hands  in  agony  of   heart ;  and   those  strong   men, 
with  nerves  of  iron,  wept  like  children. 

The  storm  raged  all  Saturday  night,  and  from  many 
a  little  home  the  men  were  still  missing.  During 
the  long  hours  hope  and  despair  alternated  in  many 
anxious  hearts,  for  all  knew  they  had  drifted  across 
the  ba}^,  and  none  knew  wiiat  their  fate  might  be. 

At  noon  on  Sunday  a  woman,  at  Heart's  Content, 
on  the  southern  side,  happened  to  notice,  far  out  in 
the  bay,  a  small  boat  drifting  helplessly  about.  But 
for  this  all  must  have  perished.  Rescue  parties  were 
at  once  formed,  and  soon  five  boats,  with  seventeen 
men,  some  in  the  last  stage  of  exhaustion  from  the 
exposure  of  that  awful  night,  were  brought  ashore. 
These  men  had  spent  the  night  on  the  ice ;  they  had 
broken  up  and  burnt  two  boats,  which,  with  the  fat 
of  two  seals  the}^  had  killed,  had  kept  off  the  worst 
of  the  cold,  while  some  of  the  fresh  meat,  roasted  in 
the  flames,  had  helped  to  assuage  the  pangs  of  hunger 
and  maintain  the  bodily  heat.  All  these  were  more 
or  less  severely  frost-bitten,  but,  with  the  loss  of 
fingers,  toes,  or  heels,  all  recovered.  Later  in  the 
day  the  rest  of  the  boats  were  seen,  and  twenty- 
seven  more  men  rescued.  One  of  chese  men,  Patrick 
Hanlan,  thus  described  his  experiences : — 

"The  spray  was  continually  going  over  us,  and 
freezing,  and  we  soon  saw  it  was  impossible  to  reach 
land  on  the  north  side  of  the  bay  without  running 
the  ri*sk  of  freezing  to  death.  After  a  time  we  gave 
her  a  little  sheet,  and  ran  her  for  a  pan  of  ice.    Got 


I 


!.  I 


\n>\ 


<i  • 


I 


hi 


U    1 
I 


fl 


I 


m 


200 


VIKINGS   OF    TODAY 


out  on  the  pan  and  made  a  fire  to  i^et  something  to 
eat  and  drink.  Just  as  we  were  doinj^:  this,  a  sea 
broke  over  the  pan,  and  washed  everything  off  except 
ourselves.  We  had  to  jump  in  our  boat  and  run  hei 
before  the  gale  until  about  four  in  the  afternoon. 
Just  before  dusk  we  caught  up  four  other  boats  with 
twelve  men  in  them.  We  all  hauled  up  our  boats 
on  a  large  pan  of  ice,  turned  up  the  largest  lx)ats  to 
make  a  shelter  from  the  wind,  and  made  a  fire.  I 
had  two  seals  in  my  boat,  and  we  pelted  [i.e.  skinned) 
them  to  burn  the  fat,  breaking  up  one  of  the  smaller 
boats,  also,  to  use  as  fuel.  We  were  on  the  ice  drift- 
ing up  the  bay  all  night.  It  was  bitterly  cold,  in 
spite  of  the  big  fire,  and  we  had  to  keep  dancing  and 
jumping  to  keep  up  our  spirits,  and  to  keep  from 
freezing.  At  dawn  we  were  about  five  miles  from 
Heart's  Delight.  We  hauled  our  boats  over  some 
ice,  and  then  rowed  for  land,  which  we  reached  at 
nine  o'clock.  The  people  treated  us  with  wonderful 
kindness,  doing  all  in  their  powxr  to  relieve  us 
Under  Providence  they  saved  our  lives,  and  we  shall 
never  forget  their  kindness."  ^ 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  the  stuff  these  men 
are  made  of,  and  there  is  not  space  here  to  multiply 
stories  that  point  to  the  same  traits  of  character,  and 
that  show  the  same  self-sacrificing  courage.  Yet 
with    such    the   history   of  these    perilous   fisheries 

'  For  the  above  account  of  this  Trinity  Bay  disaster  I  am  indebted  to 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Moses  Harvey,  LL.D.,  F.R.C.S.,  one  of  the  truest  friends 
the  fishermen  ever  had. — W.  T.  G. 


something  to 
n,u:  this,  a  sea 
liing  off  except 
t  and  run  hei 
the  afternoon, 
ler  boats  with 

up  our  boats 
rgest  lx)ats  to 
ade  a  fire.  I 
1  {i.e.  skinned) 
of  the  smaller 

the  ice  drift- 
terly  cold,  in 
p  dancing  and 
to  keep  from 
'^e  miles  from 
ts  over  some 
^'e  reached  at 
ith  wonderful 
0  relieve  us 

and  we  shall 


abounds.      With    which 


201 


re 

se 


^^^>^^-y^tiiib.ofs  w^t':^ 

-^'  ^  ^°  ^^^^'^^'  toilers  of  tlie 


i   i 


iff  these  men 
e  to  multiply 
haracter,  and 
Durage.  Yet 
ious   fisheries 


■  I  am  indebted  to 
the  truest  friends 


Ill 


(        i 


'1  n 


CHAPTER  XVII 

iy£  APPEAL  FOR  CANADIAN  SYMPATHY 

N    November,    1893,    Dr. 
Bobardt      and      myself 
visited  Canada,  with  the 
hope  of  gettine^  help  for 
our  work,   seeing  that 
some  Canadians  would 
at  least  benefit  by  it. 
In  Halifax,  Montreal, 
Ottawa,   and  Toronto 
w^e  found  friendly  au- 
diences.     St.     Paul's 
Church  (Episcopal),  the 
Brunswick    Street    Me- 
thodist Church,  and  the 
Garison     Chapel,     all     of 
Halifax,    each    paid    for    the 

A  Missionary  in  Winter  Dress.     sUpport      Of      Om^      COt      for      a 

year,  promising-  to  endeavour  to  do  so  annually ;  while 
a  small  committee  Avas  organized  in  each  place  to 
keep  alive  an  interest  in  the  work,  and  to  help  by 
sending  clothes  and  reading  to  St.  Johns,  Newfound- 
land, for  us  to  carry  to  Labrador.     Governor  Daly, 


202 


WE  APPEAL  FOR  CANADIAN  SYMPATHY   203 

General  Mont.c^omery  Moore,  and  Bishop  Courtne}',  of 
Nova  Scotia,  were  good  enou£»h  to  assist  us  in  Hali- 
fax ;  while  everywhere  the  members  of  that  admirable 
institution,  "The  Brotherhood  of  St.  Andrew,"  ex- 
tended their  p^enerous  friendship  to  us.  In  Montreal, 
Sir  Donald  Smith,  Governor  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company,  who  himself  had  spent  thirteen  years  in 
charge  of  one  of  the  Company's  stations,  presented 
a  steamer  to  the  Montreal  Committee,  to  enable  the 
work  to  be  more  efliciently  carried  out.  Dr.  Rod- 
dick, of  Montreal,  also  presented  the  Mission  with  a 
sailing  boat  for  Battle  Harbour,  called  the  Uyclia 
McKiwion.  His  Excellency  the  Governor-General, 
Lord  Aberdeen,  ^vas  good  enough  to  preside  at  the 
meeting  at  Ottawa,  and  express  his  sympathy  w^'th 
the  work.  Indeed,  for  real  interest  and  sympathy 
in  every  philanthropic  work,  and  it  is  grand  to  know 
in  every  distinctively  missionary  work  also,  Canada 
is  fortunate  in  possessing  in  both  Lord  and  Lady 
Aberdeen  examples'  of  a  kind  alas  far  too  rare  in 
these  so-called  Christian  days.  A  meeting  was  also 
held  in  Winnipeg,  w^hither  we  w^ent  on  a  holiday 
trip,  and  here  the  Lieut.-Governor,  Sir  John  Schultze, 
presided,  and,  with  Lady  Schultze,  expressed  great 
interest  in  the  work.  Samuel  Blake,  Esq.,  Q.C.,  so 
well  known  in  Canada  for  his  broad-minded  Chris- 
tian sympathies,  w^as  our  chairman  at  Toronto.  Our 
days  at  Toronto  possessed  for  me  an  interest  never 
experienced  before.  We  fell  on  a  great  Missionary 
Convention,  and  from  Mr.  Warzawiak,  of  New  York, 


f 


II 


• 


Ei  J    f 


i!« 


!  1     * 


i'l 


204 


VIKIXCS   OF    TO-DAY 


Dr.  Maclvay,  of  l^^ormosa,  Dr.  Gordon,  of  Iioston, 
Dr.  Pierson,  of  IMiilack'lphia,  and  many  other  re- 
markable men,  we  he;ird  of  such  difheuUk's  over- 
come, obstacles  removed,  and  successes  attained  by 
the  Gospel  in  other  fields  in  the  missionary  world, 
that  it  made  one  desire  to  be  at  work  in  China, 
Africa,  and  North   America  all  at  once. 

Reachin.u,-  lin,i;land  in  Akirch,  while  preparations 
were  beinp:  made  for  1894,  1  was  enabled  to  visit 
the  North  Sea  fleets.  Tlie  English  fishermen  ex- 
pressed a  most  lively  interest  in  their  brethren  over 
the  sea,  and  the  warm-hearted  admiral  of  the  Red 
Cross  fleet  sent  me  a  kirge  flag,  that  they  might  be 
"  represented  in  Labrador." 

Dr.  Curwen  having  gone  to  China  for  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  and  Dr.  Bobardt  desiring  to  re- 
main at  home  a  year,  our  staff,  consisting  of  Dr. 
Willway,  Dr.  Bennett,  and  the  two  sisters,  sailed 
direct  for  Labrador  in  the  Albert,  w^iile  a  volunteer 
Christian  worker,  who  came  and  acted  as  chief  en- 
gineer (Mr.  W.  B.  Wakefield),  and  myself,  left  for 
Montreal,  fitting  out  and  despatching  the  s.s.  Princess 
3fa\\  as  we  passed  through  St.  Johns,  Newfound- 
land. 

The  Albert  had  a  long  pissage  out,  and  meeting 
the  outside  of  the  floe  ice,  had  a  tough  three  days 
working  her  way  through ;  now  charging  into  large 
pans,  now  laying  against  masses  piled  up  higher 
than  her  masts.  Captain  Trezise  rep  rted  her  as 
at  one  time  in  great  danger  of  being  overwhelmed 


,  of  ])Oston, 
iy  otlKT  rc- 
cLiltics  over- 
attiiined  by 
onary  world, 
■k    in  China, 

preparations 
bled  to  visit 
shcrmcn  cx- 
)rcthrcn  over 

ot"  the  Red 
ley  might  be 

•  the  London 
siring-  to  re- 
sting of  Dr. 
isters,  sailed 
a  volunteer 
as  chief  en- 
'Self,  left  for 
I  s.s.  Princess 
,    Newfound- 


and  meeting 
1  three  days 
ig  into  large 
.1  up  higher 
■rted  her  as 
.overwhelmed 


ao5 


iHi' 

1  1 

■• 

-wiIHHP  ^' 

i  i 

{■uH 

1 

1 

m'i 

'  f 

i 

1  ii'iwfJ    '             ''•  ' 

1 

1    i; 
i     \ 

ilitli. 

by  masses  fallinji  on  fn  i,       . 

""jj-"'  to  those  in  c,:  i  ^  ^Z"^"  ^■^•^■'-   ''^■'<'- 

-  J^^'-c   ^osp:L^ir:;^:-;'  ^'-■.- Canvaa,,-nc 

''°"'-.    Where    the    hoi,u  T         '°   """■^'"   "•-"- 
worki.^  orclor.    H,,,'^'     ^''f    ■'■'P'^l'y    Placed    i„ 

"'"^^   ^^amc    to   an    ingloriou         T''   ""'"""^^  "'- 
"y  'ire  the  (irst  week  o      s      ■  •'''^■""""■■'^    ^'"'1 

Oshermen    for    savin.--   it    r  °*    '"^   """"^cr   of 

Comn,ocIore  Cur.on-J^ovve  oTh  vT'""'°"'  '''""    '° 
'a"1'ng   a    body    Of    bin;         ^  ^^-   "^''^""•".  for 
'iamage,  enabling  the  woH-  t^'   ''''   '°    '"'•"'»''■    'he 
f  n  returned  and  lay^B    t.'T'"-     ^"^  -^'*-' 
'he  anival  of  our  steamer   tc""'""""''  '°  ^''->t 
^Wle,   we   had   visited  ^.'^^  f".  '"'"""'■    Mean- 
If  aiong   the  Labrador  coLr"?  ''"'""  '^^°«- 
the  Gulf  of  St.    Lawrence       p         "'  """"^   ^'''e 
'''"'   Plenty    of   worlc   !"    do  •  ''''''^''''''-   ^e    had 
operating    >vhere   neccss-xrv     k  .T'"'"^   "'"'    P=°P'e, 
"'•stributing  literature     ;r'      ""''"""    ''''■'-'^-'    and 
deeply  grateful   for  our   visr'-^'l""'  '■°""''  P^°P'e 
f  hear   the  Gospel,     m,  '  "',  """   ^'^'-''^  ^  gather 
"opes  raised  that  a  thin    hn     '?'   "'''^^'"'y  °f  the 
"    '"e    Labrador    0^7'""  l^^'^  ^  erected 
^°   ^Wch    the    sick    could    b''"''   "'■    ^'"'-■''^'^■. 

^^ --everywhere  entreat2t;'tra,t 


'I 


I  nil 


i 


iiii,,.. 


>',  :iii  <» 


208 


V  IK  J  yes   OF    TODAY 


tills  to  be  our  lust  visit.  At  Lii  Komainc,  a  sta- 
tion of  the  Hudson  l^»ay  Company,  wo  IkuI  a 
severe  opjialion  on  a  yount;  Montai^nais  Indian 
luuiier— otherwise  doomed  to  die — and  wiu-n  we  left 
three  days  later  he  was  lying  in  liis  tent,  on  a 
ele.'tn  bed  of  spruce  boughs,  on  the  hi.u:h-road  to 
recovery.  At  the  last  places  we  visited,  we  took 
patients  aboard  for  Battle  Hospital — one  poor  lad 
with  a  horrible  affection  of  the  hip,  a  girl  with  a 
useless  wrist  and  arm,  a  child  with  hip-joint  disease, 
and  a  sick  woman  for  operation.  All  ot  these  even- 
tually return  jd  home  benefited  or  cured. 

Just  before  reaching  Battle  Harbour,  with  all  our 
flags  flying,  our  brass  polished,  and  our  spirits  wild 
with  expectancy  of  seeing  our  qoUeagues  again,  we 
suddenly  struck  a  submerged  rock,  and  for  a  few 
minutes  lay  in  danger  of  rolling  over  and  sinking 
in  deep  water.  All  hands  behaved  exceedingly 
well.  Our  boats  were  lowered,  signals  put  up  for 
two  schooners  which  happened  to  be  passing,  to 
'*  stand  by,"  while  kedge  anchors  were  run  out,  in 
the  endeavour  to  save  the  ship  by  warping  her  off  the 
rocks.  After  a  time,  assisted  by  a  heavy  tide  and  the 
big  ground  swell,  she  came  off  and  swung  to  her  an- 
chors in  the  deep  water.  Alas,  for  us,  she  had  almost 
better  have  remained  a  complete  w^'eck,  for  her  keel 
and  stem  were  broken,  her  rudder  twisted,  her  pro- 
peller gone,  her  engines  broken,  and  her  side  bulged 
in.  Fortunately,  we  were  able  to  travel  over  land  to 
Battle   Harbour ;  and  Mr.  Baine  Grieve's  agent  sent 


\VF  ArPF.M.  ro/c  r.(.v.i/)/.i.v  sy\fr.\r/{y   .^->i 


no,  a   sta- 
,c    liacl    a 
Ills    liulian 
icn  wc  loll 
tent,  on   a 
irh-road   to 
d,  WL'   took 
(j   poor    lad 
(rirl  with  a 
3int  disease, 
these  even- 

with  all  our 
sph-its  wild 
s  ac'ain,  we 
for  a  few 
imd   sinking- 
exceedingly 
put  up  tor 
passing,   to 
run  out,  in 
ig  her  off  the 
tide  and  the 
ig  to  her  an- 
|e  had  almost 
I,  for  her  keel 
,ted,  her  pro- 
side  bulged 
over  land  to 
[S  agent  sent 


thence  his  bait  launch  and  towed  llu-  Sir  nmuihl 
into  harbour.  Here  we  found  the  Allnrt,  very 
anxious  about  our  long  delayed  arrival,  but  now 
overjoyed  to  sec  us  in  any  plight.    As  nothing  could 

or,  Capt 
attempt 


be  done  to  repair  the   steamer   in  Labrr 


nin 
to 


Trczise   undertook   the   exceedingly  risk 

tow   the    Sir    Dnttnld   to   St.    Johns,   and    this,   after 

many  exciting  incidents  and    many  close   shaves  of 

losing  her,  he  successfully  accomplished.    There  she 

now    lies,    undergoing    repairs    for    another    year's 

work. 

Meanwhile,  I  left  with  the  Urclin  Mck'i:iuon  for 
Indian  Harbour  Hospital,  and  thence  visited  the 
Hudson  Bay  station  at  Rigolettc,  and  many  other 
places  between  Indian  Harbour  and  Battle. 

Dr.  Bennett  was  anxious  to  leave  early  for  Eng- 
land, as  he  was  appointed  by  the  London  Missionary 
Society  to  Tien-Tsin  Missionary  llosjntal  in  China; 
and  so,  till  winter  drove  the  Newfoundland  people  otf 
the  coast,  l^attle  Hospital  came  under  my  charge. 
On  November  ist  the  sisters  and  myself  left  for 
Newfoundland,  Dr.  Wilhvay  remaining  to  hold  the 
fort  alone  till  we  could  return  in  1895.  His  arrange- 
ments were  to  visit,  if  possible,  as  far  as  Blanc 
Sablon,  and  then  returning  to  his  hospital  to  meet 
our  good  friend  Mr.  Wilson,  of  Rigolettc,  at  Qiri- 
wriglit,  to  travel  with  him  north  to  liopedale  and 
Davis  Inlet,  and  then  to  await  at  Battle  Hospital 
our  return. 

Thus,  God  willing,  much  good  \\'\\\  be  done,  many 


210 


VIKINGS  OF    TO-DAY 


sick  and  suffering  ones  relieved,  many  cheered  and 
assisted  in  their  struggle  for  existence,  and,  above 
all,  the  Gospel  proclaimed  in  many  homes  where, 
but  for  the  "Labrador  Mission,"  its  sound  would 
never  reach  during  the  long  and  WTary  winter 
months.*  .«..:, 

*  Dr.  Wilhvay  left  for  the  North  on  January  91I1,  the  sea  being  then 
firmly  frozen  over. 


^V 


cheered  and 
,  and,  above 
omes  where, 
sound  would 
eary   winter 


c  sea  being  then 


I 


APPENDICES 


*xr 


!    I 


llPl!!i! 


ml 


APPEXDJX  A 

SO.VJ:  MEDICAL   STATISTICS 

called  serious  cases     An  .'  '''''"'^"^  "^'k'"  '^ 

the  coast,  and   1  ttd  fn      '     '"'"^  °''  '"""'•'"^''  ^•'■^"^■1 

surgical    cases    ^^^^Zr^:^^' 

'093  tlieie  were  treated  ■— 
In  Labrador,  the  Straits  of 'Belle  Isle   ■^n,^         u 

^-h  ...ore  or  Newroundland  t  J:^r  tiS 


Dr.  Robardt  at  Battle  Hospital        . 

jZ      '"  '''  ^^"-^"^  '-'-^'  ^— ^ 

That  is  a  total  of 

•  •  - 


Inpatients.     Out-Patiems. 

33  647 

3  1,053 

J  794 

2,493 


boo.cs  are  p,' "e  vid  l^  1  o",    "r  ''"°"--^-     f^^  -- 
t^iescncd  in  London  lor  reference.] 


l 


213 


i. 


!l 


214 


VIKINGS  OF   TO-DAY 


Medical  Cases. 
Piseases  of — 

Digestive  system  .... 
Respiratory  and  circulatory  system 
Nervous  system  .... 
Excretory  system     .... 

Women 

Diseases  of  special  organs — 

Eye  (including  34  cases  of  night  blindness) 
Ear 


Nose  and  throat       .... 

OKIII.  •  •  •  •  •  a 

Minor  cases — Headaches,  colds,  strains 
Cases  of  rheumatism       .... 


^33 

194 
60 

40 
64 

211 
40 

93 
105 

1C7 

64 


* 

I 


'  -J 


Surgical  Cases. 

Affections  of  the  upper  limbs 
Affections  of  the  lower  limbs 
General     surgical     cases — Glands,    bonQs, 

rickets,  tumour,  fistula,  etc. 
Sundry  minor  cases 

Total 

Operations  performed  under  chloroform 
Major  operations  without  chloroform  . 
Minor  surgical  operations,  including  teeth 


special 


306 

94 

1 88 
210 

2,493 

17 
II 

269 


There  were  in  Battle  Harbour  Hospital  the  follow- 
ing named  cots  or  beds :  viz.,  Exeter,  Brighton,  Red- 
hill,  Hutchinson,  Macphcrson;  also  the  John  Foun- 
tain Elvin  and  John  Charles  Harris  memorial  cots. 

In  the  male  ward  were  first  the  "Brighton  cot." 
This  was  occupied  by  a  poor  Newfoundland  fisher- 
man whom  I  brought  80  miles  in  the  Princess 
May.      He   had  consumption,   and   died   after  about 


iiil 


APPENDICES 


2V 


O 


two  months  in  ^  hospital.  His  body  alone  reached 
his  relatives  in  Newibundland. 

The  second  bed  was  the  "  Harris  Cot."  There 
were  three  patients  in  this  bed  this  season.  The 
first  was  suflering  with  pleuris}-;  the  second  had 
to  have  his  middle  finger  amputated,  after  a  deep 
abscess  of  the  hand;  the  third  also  had  a  severely 
poisoned  hand. 

The  third,  the  "Redhill  Cot,"  was  occupied  by  a 
fisherman  with  paral5^sis  of  the  right  arm  and  leg, 
and  then  by  a  poor  fellow  with  consumption. 

The  fourth,  the  '*  Hutchinson  Cot,"  was  occupied 
by,  first,  a  man  with  a  severely  crushed  hand ;  then 
by  a  poor  fellow  from  far  north,  sent  back  by  the 
Albert  (he  was  suffering  from  ulcer  of  the  stomach; ; 
and,  thirdly,  by  a  French  Canadian  who  was  brought 
in  a  scaling  steamer  from  Canadian  Labrador,  with 
a  deep  abscess  of  the  back. 

The  fifth,  the  "Exeter  Cot,"  was  occupied,  first,  by 
a  fisherman  with  rheumatic  fever  and  heart  disease ; 
second,  by  a  man  with  excessive  deep  inflammation 
of  the  arm  and  forearm ;  third,  by  a  man  with 
abscess  in  the  palm  of  his  hand ;  fourth,  by  a  young 
American  with  an  affection  resulting  from  consump- 
tion in  the  system;  fifth,  by  a  very  similar  case 
with  a  Newfoundlander. 

The  sixth,  the  "  INIacphcrson  Cot,"  was  in  the 
female  ward.  First  of  all  it  was  occupied  by  a 
young  girl  who  had  to  undergo  a  serious  operation ; 
then  by  a  woman  who  had  come  fifty  miles  down 


ii 


2l6 


VIKINGS    OF    TO-DAY 


W'  .i' 


^ 


the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle  with  an  internal  disease; 
then  by  a  poor  girl  brought  south  in  the  mail 
steamer  from  the  cabin  of  one  of  the  small  lishing 
vessels.  She  died  in  hospital.  The  poor  thing  was 
engaged  to  be  married  this  summer.  Had  she  been 
able  to  come  earlier  for  proper  assistance  there  can 
be  no  doubt  her  life  would  have  been  saved.  The 
fourth  patient  in  this  bed  was  a  girl  of  eighteen. 
She  had  been  suffering  with  an  internal  abscess  for 
nearly  three  years  when  I  saw"  her  first  in  Sandwich 
Bay  in  the  Princess  May.  After  the  operation  we 
sent  her  by  the  mail  to  Battle  Hospital.  Here  she 
remained  some  wrecks,  and  on  returning  south  in  the 
Princess  May,  and  again  visiting  Sandwich  Bay,  I 
found  the  girl  returned,  a  new  creature  altogether. 
"I  should  like  to  have  stayed  always,"  she  told  me. 

W.  T.  G. 

T/ie  fol/oiving  are  a  few  figures  from  my  report 
rendered  to  t/ie  St.  Johns  Au.xiliary  Branch  of  the 
M.D.S.F.  :— 

In  1894,  owing  to  the  loss  of  the  s.s.  Sir  Donald, 
and  the  fact  of  the  Princess  May  being  unable  to 
reach  the  coast,  the  work  of  the  mission  was  much 
curtailed.  Yet  out  of  1,306  patients  treated  a  much 
larger  proportion  were  serious  cases,  arid  more 
patients  availed  themselves  of  the  hospitals.  This 
number  Avill  no  doubt  increase. 

There  were  treated  this  year  by — 


APPENDICES 


al  disease; 

1  the  mail 
nail  fishing 

thing  was 
.d  she  been 

2  there  can 
ived.  The 
if  eighteen, 
abscess  for 
n  Sandwich 
le  rat  ion   we 

Here  she 
outh  in  the 
ich  Bay,  I 
altogether, 
he  told  me. 
\V.  T.  G. 

my   report 
uicJi   of  tlie 


Sir  Donald^ 
:  unable  to 

w^as  much 
ted  a  much 

arid  more 
itals.    This 


217 


Dr.  fiennett  at  Battle  Hospital  i"i^-'tie.,ts.    Out.p.uients. 

!''■•  ^^'"'^^''^y  at  Indian  Harbour       '         "        f  '^^'^ 

I^r     C,    nf^Il    on    the    .»-   /w.V   ,-„.•,        "^  ^^° 

Urc/ia  McKinnon 

•        •        .        _ 


Tota 


4  231 


51 


J,255 


These  were — 


Medical  Cases. 


Diseases  of— 

Digestive  system      . 

I'iespiratoi-y  system  . 

Nervous  system        .        [ 

Excretory  sjstem 

Women      .        .        ^        *        * 
Minor  cases-Colds*  headaches      .* 


Surgical  Cases. 
Affections  of  the  upper  limbs 
Affections  of  the  lower  limbs  *        '        '        '        ' 

(General  surgical  ain^ctions,  includi;^  ojands*  bc^s    f* .  , 
etc.  t,"inu>i,  i)one>i,  tistiil, 

'     •         •         .         , 

Minor  surgery  cases        ..''''• 
Diseases  of  special  organs-  '        '        *        '        '        * 

Eye   . 

har    .         , 

Nose  and  throat 

Skin  .         .         ^ 

Affection    .        . 
Operations  performed  under  an^Tsihctics 
Mmor  operations,  including  teeth 

In-patients 

•        •        •        .        . 

Grand  total      . 


', 


226 

55 
45 

/J 


73 
64 

.     140 
.     1 14 

90 

•  27 
.       43 

•  74 
,       64 

119 
1,306 


I 


( 


ill 


lr<i 


il 


Ti 


APPENDIX  B 

SPIRITUAL  AGENCIES  IN  LABRADOR, 

Since  July,  1S92,  at  which  time  we  arrived 

ON  the  coast 

THERE  is  a  Wesleyan  missionary  fifty  miles  west 
of  Battle,  at  Red  Bay.  To  visit  all  round  his 
circuit  and  return  must  involve  250  to  300  miles' 
travelling.  It  must  be  remembered  all  this  visiting 
is  done  in  a  small  open  boat  in  summer,  at  !L>re:it  risk 
in  so  dangerous  a  place  as  the  Straits  of  Belle  Isle ; 
and  in  winter  over  the  ice  with  a  komatik  and  team 
of  dogs.  The  Rev.  J.  Sidey  was  there  three  years, 
and  is  now  replaced  by  Rev.  J.  Antle.^ 

At  Battle  Harbour,  as  is  well  known  to  our  readers, 
there  is  a  wooden  church,  but  it  has  been  in  charge 
of  a  young  teacher  and  lay  reader  since  we  have 
been  on  the  coast. 

•  At  Cartwright,  thirty  miles  up  Sandwich  Bay,  is 
another  Avooden  church  and  schoolroom  combined. 
Here  also  is  a  lay  reader  and  schoolmaster.  This 
would  be  about  150  miles  up  the  coast  from  Battle 
Harbour.  The  sphere  of  work  does  not,  I  think, 
extend  at  all  outside  Sandwich  Bay. 

*  These  Wesleyan  missionaries  are  supported  by  the  Methodist  Church 

of  Canada. 

ai8 


APPENDICES 


219 


hodist  Church 


.  Fifty  miles  above  Indian  Plarbour,  up  Hamilton 
Inlet,  is  a  younj?  Wesleyan  minister.  He  has  a  small 
school  and  chapel  on  the  south  side  of  the  inlet.  We 
had  the  pleasure  of  taking  him  in  the  Pyincess  May 
to  his  new  sphere  of  work.  His  name  is  the  Rev.  G. 
Hollett,  and  his  sphere  of  work  is  Hamilton  Inlet,  I 
think  as  far  in  as  the  North  West  river,  that  is  eighty 
miles  further,  or  130  from  Indian  Harbour. 

From  Indian  Harbour  to  Hopedale  the  settlers 
number  from  260  to  300,  and  arc  very  poor  and 
very  scattered.  The  distance  by  sea  is  150  miles, 
and  again  consists  of  a  series  of  long  bays  and 
off-lying  islands.  There  is  no  missionary  or  school- 
master anywhere  along  this  part  of  the  coast, 
though  once  in  the  winter  one  of  the  Moravians 
travels  over  the  ice  as  far  south  as  Cape  Harrison 
with  his  komatik  and  dogs,  often  at  great  peril  to  his 
life.  Northward  of  Cape  Harrison  are  only  a  few 
scattered  European  settlers,  mixed  among  not  less 
than  2,000  Eskimos.  These  are  mostly  members  of 
the  Moravian  Church.  The  Moravian  stations  are 
from  50  to  100  miles  apart. 

To  meet  the  spiritual  needs  of  all  these  people, 
scattered  as  they  are,  and  of  the  25,000  who  visit 
the  coast  in  summer — some  10,000  living  on  their 
A^essels  all  the  year — we  only  heard  of  one  clergyman 
of  the  Church  of  England  and  one  Wesle3'an  minis- 
ter, with  one  Roman  Catholic  priest,  visiting  during 
part  of  the  summer.  This  jxar,  1893,  we  did  not 
hear  of  any  peripatetic  Wesleyan  minister,  and  the 


'I 


• 


220 


1'I/\'IXC;S   OF    TO  DA  Y 


only  clciyyman  \v;is  rather  in  pursuit  of  health;  but 
wc  met  in  the  .Straits  of  llelle  Jsle  IJisiiop  MaeDonnd 
and  the  Rev.  Father  Lynch,  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church.  I  must  mention  also  that  the  Bible  Society 
send  a  colporteur  every  year  to  sell  IMbles  and  testa- 
ments on  the  coast,  though  we  did  not  fall  in  with 
him  this  year,  nor  do  1  know  how  much  of  the  cpast 
he  travels  over.  Last  year  a  tiny  schooner,  manned 
by  three  Sidvation  Army  captains,  also  visited  the 
coast,  partly  lishiii^  and  partly  preachiiii^-  the  gospel. 
Amon^'  the  lishermeii  themselves  we  met  many  ear- 
nest and  pious  Christians,  and  as  on  the  North  Sea, 
so  on  this  bleak  coast  we  iKive  felt  Cod's  presence 
quite  as  real  and  as  near  in  the  meetinjy;s  on  board  or 
in  the  huts  as  we  have  in  great  buildings  and  com- 
fortable pews  in  the  old  country. 

Among  past  workers  in  Labrador  I  hear  of  the 
Rev.  J.  G.  Curling,  Rev.  Mr.  Hutchinson,  and  Rev. 
Mr.  Quintain.  The  last  two  spent  many  years  in 
Labrador,  while  the  Rev.  J.  Bull  spent  three  years 
at  Battle  Harbour.  The  Right  Rev.  Llewellyn  Jones, 
Bishop  of  Newfoundland  and  Bermuda,  has  also  visited 
the  coast,  as  did  Bishop  Field,  his  predecessor.  The 
Rev.  Father  Lemoine,  labouring  among  the  Mon- 
taignais  Indians  of  the  interior,  also  sometimes  comes 
out  on  the  coast  during  the  summer.' 

1  Bishop  Jones  sent  three  visiting  clerjjymen  to  Labiador  this  summer. 
1S94. 


Al'I'EXDIX    C 

A    FEW  TESr/MO.\lES   TO    THE    IVORK   FRO.U 
THOSE    WHO   KXOW  LA  BRA  DO K 

-  • 

2_p  ROM  the  Rev.  F.  S.  IIollett,  Missionary  of  the 
Canadian  Methodist  Cliuvch  at  Rigolette : — 


ar  this  summeii 


Hamilton  Ixlet, 

Labrador, 
Dear  Dr.  C.RnxFELL,— 

.  .  .  Any  way  that  we  can  liclp  you,  wc 
will  be  o]ad  to  do  it.  As  you  know  1  can  sympa- 
thise with  you  in  the  didiculties  you  meet  with. 
D.V.,  we  hope  to  have  a  visit  from  you  next  year. 
May  God  bless  3-ou  in  your  noble  worlv,  and  you 
v.-ill  always  remembjr 

I  am 

Your  sincere  brother  in  Christ, 

Fraxk  S.  IIollett. 


i 

it. 


'I 


# 


2VI 


IJt 


!    !  !: 


222 


VIKIXC.S   or    TODAY 


From  Dr.  Roiu-rt  Murray,  Etliloy  of  the  "  Prcshy' 
tcriioi   Witness'': — 

II.\Lir.\x, 

December,   i'S94. 
Dear  Dr.  Grfni  f-lt,, — 

.  .  .  From  our  Presbyterian  teacher  from 
Canadian  Labrador  we  had  most  favourable  reports 
of  your  work.  I  examined  him  personally  on  his 
return,  as  to  what  he  had  seen  and  heard. 

While  he  had  not  seen  the  hospitals  and  the  doc- 
tors, he  had  heard  most  appreciative  reix)rts  from 
fishermen    .     .    . 

Yours  very  truly, 

* 

Robert  Murray. 

*- 


October  27,  1S92.  A  representative  meeting  of  the 
colony  of  Newfoundland  was  held  at  Government 
House,  St.  Johns.  There  were  present,  amongst 
others,  His  Excellency  the  Governor,  Sir  Frederick 
Carter  (Judge  of  Supreme  Court),  Sir  William 
Whiteway  (Premier),  Major-General  Dowell,  R.A., 
Sir  Robert  Thorburn  (late  Premier),  Hon.  E.  D. 
Shea,  Hon.  Robert  Bond  (Colonial  Secretary),  Hon. 
A.  Goodridge  (late  Premier),  Hon.  A.  W.  Harvey, 
Hon.  M.  Munroc,  and  Messrs.  W.  Grieve,  P.  Tessier, 
E.  Duder,  W.  Job,  E.  Outerbridge,  representing  the 
merchant  firms,  Captains  the  Hon.  S.  Blandford, 
W.  Bartlett,  N.  Fitzgerald,  J.  Watson,  representing 
the  Labrador  planters,  and  Messrs.  Ch.  Emerson,  J 


APPENDICES 


223 


Withers,  —  Cohen,  etc.  After  a  discussion,  in  which 
several  present  took  part,  it  was  proposed  by  Hon. 
W.  A.  Harvey,  seconded  by  Sir  Wm.  Whiteway, 
and  when  put  by  His  Excellency  the  Governor 
unanimously  resolved: — • 

Resolved. — "That  this  mectinL":,  representing  the 
principal  merchants  and  traders  carryinu:  on  the 
fisheries,  especially  on  the  coast  of  Labrador,  and 
others  interested  in  the  welfare  of  this  colony, 
desires  to  tender  its  warmest  thanks  to  the  direc- 
tors of  the  Deep  Sea  Mission  for  their  philanthropic 
generosity  in  sendino^  their  hospital  ship  Albert  to 
visit  the  lishing  settlements  on  the  Labrador  coast. 

"Much  of  our  lislung  industuy  is  carried  on  in 
regions  beyond  the  ordinary  feach  of  medical  aid 
or  of  chLirity,  and  it  is  with  the  deepest  sense  of 
gratitude  that  this  meeting  learns  of  the  amount 
of  medical  and  surgical  work  done,  besides  all  the 
other  relief  and  help  so  liberally  distributed.  This 
meeting  also  desires  to  express  the  hope  that  the 
directors  of  the  Mission  may  see  their  way  to  con- 
tinue the  work  thus  begun,  and  should  they  do  so 
they  may  be  assured  of  the  earnest  support  and  co- 
operation of  all  classes  of  this  community." 

«  #  in  * 


r;i 


Subsequent  to  this  great  meeting  the  following 
resolution  was  passed  and  forwarded  to  the  Mis- 
sion:— 

"That  this  representative  committee  will  under- 


224 


VIKINGS   OF   TO-DAY 


\\\ 


take  to  provide  two  suitable  buildings,  which  may 
be  used  as  hospitals  by  the  Mission  to  Deep  Sea 
Fishermen,  should  the  Council  of  the  Mission  signify 
their  intention  to  continue  their  operations  on  the 
coast  of  Labrador,  and  the  Committee  will  heartily 
co-operate  in  any  other  way  that  the  Council  of 
the  Society  may  suggest. 

"  That  a  copy  of  the  foregoing  resolution  be  for- 
warded for  the  information  of  the  society. 

fSio-nod    ^^'  ^'^^^^^%  Governor,  Chairman. 
\S\.  MuxROE,  Sccrctavyy 

Montreal,  Decembevy  1S93. 
A.  BoDAKDT,  Esq.,  M.B.,  R.N.,  writing,  says: — 

•P   _  M*  I*  "t* 

Often  in  Labrador  have  I  been  urged  on  to  further 
work'  by  noting  how  much  a  Mission  A'isit  is  appre- 
ciated, and  how  the  people  do  enjoy  .a  meeting;  and 
it  seems  a  thousand  pities  that  they  cannot  be 
brought  under  regular  spiritual  inlluences. 

H:  *  *  H: 

The  small  portable  organ  I  had  was  most  useful, 
and  wherever  I  went  it  was  my  Fidus  Aciiaics, 
tending  to  infuse  more  life  into  my  meetings.  I 
found  die  people  joined  heartily  in  the  hrmns. 
Most  of  this  visiting  was  done  by  boat,  and  it  was 
in  this  work  that  one  recognised  fully  the  benelits 
of  being  able  to  handle  an  oar,  and  pull  oneself 
wherever  one  wished  to  go. 


,'hich  may 
Deep  Sea 
on  signify 
ns  on  the 
11  heartily 
[Council    of 

on  be  for- 
minnaiu 

ery  1S93. 

lys : — 

to  further 
t  is  appre- 
etin,![i ;  and 
cannot   be 


[ost  useful, 
■s  Ac/idiCSy 
>etings.  I 
lie  hymns, 
ind  it  was 
lie  benelits 
LiU   oneself 


ArPEX  DICES 


22j 


In  the  hosi:ital  I  had  thirty-three  in-palients,  and 
in  the  nursing  of  these  I  must  pay  tribute  to  Nurse 
Carwardine,  who,  by  her  unremitting  zeal  and  at- 
tention, made  many  of  these  poor  fishermen  know 
for  the  first  time  what  it  w^as  to  be  in  a  comfort- 
able warm  bed,  and  be  skilfully  attended  to. 

*  ^  ^  H>         > 

The  comparison  between  them  in  hospital  and  in 
their  own  homes  or  smacks  is  too  extreme  to  be 
drawn,  and  they  were  very  grateful  for  wiiat  had 
been  done  for  them. 

One  case  for  example : — A  gunshot  wound  of  the 
hand  came  to  hospital,  and,  though  his  hand  w-as 
severely  lacerated,  he  was  able  to  return  to  his 
home  with  a  useful  limb,  after  being  five  weeks  in. 
If  this  case  had  been  left  to  itself,  the  young  man 
must  have  either  lost  his  arm,  01  had  a  stiff  and 
useless  hand ;  and  the  latter  is  in  the  way  of  a 
fisherman,  who  necessarily  uses  his  hands  so  much 
in  handlin":  nets,  lines, 


;ope; 


* 


Many  at  Battle  and  the  surrounding  coves  arc 
now  thanking  (iod  for  His  goodness  in  inspiring 
friends  in  England  and  elsewiiere  to  send  clothing 
for  them  this  fall ;  the  look  of  delight  when  they 
received  their  bundles  was  a  treat  to  witness.  On 
Tuesday,  October  31st,  we  left  Battle  Harbour, 
amidst  the  salutes  from  many  "  Brow^n  Sallys" 
f^uns).     We  carried  with  us   the   pleasantest   recol- 


I 


^L'i 


\.   .ris' 


m 


n 


„.i 


226 


VIKINGS  OF   TODAY 


l\ 


lections,  and  the  hopj  that  the  work  would  grow 
and  increase,  bringing  health,  happiness,  and  much 
comfort  to  these  Labradorites. 

Sincerely  yours, 

Albert  Bobardt. 

«  w  «  41 

From  Rev.  Jno.  Sidey,  now  three  years  Wesleyan 
Missionary  at  Red  Bay. 

November^  1892. 

At  the  present  time  1  believe  there  are  but  two 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  between  Hopedale,  the 
Moravian  settlement,  and  Blanc  Sablon,  in  the 
Straits  of  Belle  Isle,  a  distance  of  over  four  hun- 
dred miles.  Around  the  coast  line  numerous  settle- 
ments are  scattered  along  the  route,  and  here  in 
the  best  harbours  are  congregated  during  the  summer 
season  thousands  of  fishermen  from  Newfoundland, 
Canada,  and  the  United  States.  They  may,  perhaps, 
the  greater  part  of  them,  be  attendants  at  the  various 
churches  when  at  home  ;  but  3Ut  here,  removed  from 
all  religious  influences,  what  wonder  that  they  be- 
come dissipated  and  lost  in  the  spiritual  darkness 
that  abounds  on  the  coast.  The  Mission  ship  has 
visited  these  harbours,  held  services,  and,  if  one  may 
take  as  a  criterion  the  work  done  here,  and  the  in- 
terest aroused,  a  very  favourable  aspect  is  presented 
as  to  the  spiritual  portion  of  the  work. 

But  another  and  equally  important  phase  of  the 
work  of  the  Mission  on  these  shores  calls  for  the 


APPENDICES 


""I 


lid  grow 
nd  much 


OBARDT. 


Wesleyan 

?r,  1892. 
e  but  two 
)edale,    the 
m,    in    the 
four  hun- 
rous  settle- 
d  here  in 
he  summer 
foundland, 
iy,  perhaps, 
[the  various 
loved  from 
[t  they  be- 
ll darkness 
ship  has 
|if  one  may 
md  the  in- 
presented 

|ase  of  the 
[lis  for  the 


earnest  sympathy  and  encouragement  of  all  who 
have  interest  in  this  noble  enterprise — The  Medical 
Work.  A  doctor  is  provided  by  the  Government 
for  this  shore,  during  the  summer  months,  but  as 
he  is  stationed  on  board  the  mail-boat,  which  only 
calls  just  to  land  the  mails  and  freight  at  compara- 
tively a  few  of  the  above-mentioned  ports,  his 
services  are  practically  nil  to  the  greater  portion 
of  the  community.  Yet  the  record  of  sick  and  dis- 
abled fishermen  is  very  large.  Many  have,  year 
by  3'ear,  to  be  sent  home  in  the  mail-boats  at  the 
expense  of  the  Government,  losing  also  a  summer's 
fishery,  which  in  many  cases  might  be  avoided  by 
a  few  days'  careful  attention  on  board  such  a  ship 
as  the  Albert.  In  such  cases  it  is  not  only  the  men 
themselves  that  suffer,  but  their  families  are  often 
starving  throughout  the  long  cold  winters  that 
follow.  It  may  be  a  bold  suggestion,  but  perhaps 
worthy  of  a  little  consideration  (in  view  of  the 
many  harbours  and  extent  of  the  coast),  that  were 
the  Society  to  substitute  a  small  steam  vessel  for 
the  Albert,  much  more  effective  work  could  be  ac- 
complished, as  then  during  the  course  of  the  summer, 
at  least,  three  trips  instead  of-  one  might  be  made 
along  the  whole  shore;  disabled  fislicrmen  could  be 
accommodated  on  board  for  a  trip  and  carried  back 
again  without  impeding  the  work  of  the  Mission;  a 
representation  might  also  be  made  to  the  Newfound- 
land Government — who,  according  to  repute,  are  at 
great  expense    to    keep    up    the    useless  custom  of 


!'l 


223 


VIKINGS   OF    TO-DAY 


sending  a  doctor  in  the  mnil-boat,  and  carrying 
home  sick  men — to  do  away  with  their  arrange- 
ment, and  grant  a  subsidy  towards  the  maintenance 
of  a  steam  vessel,  which  could  do  the  same  work- 
far  more  effectually  and,  I  doubt  not,  at  less  expense 
to  them. 

One  word  more  in  favour  of  the  support  of  the 
Mission  on  this  coast.  The  system  of  trade,  which 
is  largely  a  credit  and  barter  system,  deprives  the 
men  of  the  use  of  cash,  even  what  they  have  really 
earned ;  and  until  settling-up  day  in  the  fall,  few 
feel  themselves  at  liberty  to  draw  upon  their  little 
portion  for  the  necessary  comforts  of  their  toil ; 
hence  the  distribution  of  the  woollens,  cuffs,  etc., 
comes  as  a  great  boon  to  many  a  poor  fisherman 
whose  hands  are  cut  by  the  lines,  or  wiiose  clothing, 
scant  at  all  times,  has  become  deplorable  by  the 
wear  and  tear  of  a  seafaring  life.  The  writer  has 
seen  much  of  this,  and  well  knows  how  such  gifts 
would  be  valued. 

I  trust  that,  as  one  who  has  lived  and  worked 
upon  the  coast,  and  who  knows  by  actua.1  experience 
something  of  the  need  of  the  Labrador  shore,  that 
I  have  said  enough  to  evoke  the  sympathy  of  all 
who  are  willing  to  give  one  thought  to  ^he  toiler? 
of  the  deep,  to  bestow  upon  your  noble  Society  the 
means  for  extending  their  work  in  this  direction. 
AVe  are  far  away,  but  it  should  bo  remembered 
that  a  large  quantity  of  fish  is  exported  to  England 
from   Newfoundland ;  besides,  we  claim  kindred,  we 


APPEXDICES 


229 


arrying 
irrangc- 
itcriance 
le  work 
expc^nse 

t  of  the 
c,  which 
rives  the 
ve  really 
fall,  few 
leir  little 
icir    toil; 
uffs,  etc., 
isherman 
clothing, 
by    the 
n-iter  has 
aich  gifts 

|d  worked 
[xperience 

lore,  that 
Ihy  of  all 
]he   toiler? 

)ciety  the 

direction, 
lembered 
England 

Indred,  we 


are,  for  the  most  part,  of  the  old  British  stock,  and, 
above  all,  wc  are  children  of  tiie  same  Heavenly 
lather  who  cares  for  all  alike. 

May  the  Almighty  bless  the  work  already  done, 
and  touch  the  hearts  of  His  children,  so  that  the 
means  may  not  be  wanting  when  men  are  ready 
to  eacriiice  their  all  to  undertake  this  noble  task. 

Yours  faithfully, 

JXO.    C.    SiDEV. 


>ii 


* 


Far  away  in  that  ice-bound,  snow-clad  country, 
there  are  men  and  Avomen  struggling  with  poverty, 
hunger,  and  disease.  Could  our  kind  friends  at 
home,  while  sitting  around  their  warm  firesides 
with  their  dear  children,  supplied  with  every  want 
and  comfort,  take  Ji  peep  into  the  many  miser- 
able hovels,  where  men,  women,  and  children  are 
ill-fed,  poorly-clad  (in  some  cases  nearly  nakedly 
suffering  from  sickness ;  and  with  no  prospect  of 
roughing  the  Avinter  out,  as  all  traders  are  gone, 
their  only  resource  is  to  apply  to  the  nearest  fishing 
station,  perhaps  many  miles  away,  for  charity, 
which,  I  am  thankful  to  say,  is  very  rarely  refused 
to  them — could  our  kind  friends  but  get  a  peep  at 
them,  I  feel  sure  that  they  would  be  only  too  glad 
to  do  a  little  to  relieve  their  wants.  There  are 
many  residents  scattered  far  and  wide,  some  in 
fairly  good  circumstances,  and  there  is,  without 
doubt,  an  immense  field  of  labour,  both  spiritually 


2^0 


VIKIWGS  OF   TO-DAY 


and  medically,  and  I  trust  that  many  friends  may 
be  found  to  assist  in  this  branch.    .     .    . 

Hoping  that  I  have  been  successful  in  showing 
you  that  there  is,  indeed,  a  cry  from  Labrador: 
"  Come  over  and  help  us." 

Joseph  F.  Trezise  (late  Master  of  Albert). 
December  8,  1S92. 

*  :>  iH  * 


Dear  Dr.  Grexfell, — 

The  laudable  work  in  which  you  are  engaged  has 
my  warmest  sympathy,  and  I  trust  that  your  en- 
deavour in  so  good  a  cause  will  meet  with  the 
success  it  deserves. 

I  visited  the  Labrador  coast  many  years  ago,  as 
far  north  as  Cape  Harrison,  and  I  then  saw  the 
many  hardships  endured  by  the  hardy  fishermen 
and  their  families.  Yours  is  a  most  deserving 
charity. 

Trusting    that    you    will   have   a   large  audience 
when  you  lecture  in  the  city, 
Believe  me. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Robert  Paton  McLea, 

Montreal,  Canada. 


APPEXDICES 


MoR.. 


231 


AVIAN   Missions,  Secretary's   Office,   7,  Furxi- 
val's  Inn,  London,  H.C. 

Jo  K  H.  Wood,  i^sq.  Secretary  Deep  Sea  Mission, 
-LJear  Sir, — 

I  am  commis.',ioned  by  the  Committer;  of  our 
Society  for  the  Furtherance  of  the  Gospel  to  con- 
vey to  your  Mission  our  thanks,  and  those  of  our 
missionaries  at  Hopedale,  for  the  visit  of  the  AWeyt. 
They  wite  very  gratefully  of  the  medical  aid,  and 
espccaly  of  the  spiritual  fellowship  and  impulse 
afforded  them,  and  they  expressed  the  hope  that  the 
v,s.t  may  be   repeated.    They  say  there  is  no  lack 

fnitr,  '  ""!,    *'  ^'^'"'   '"^^^'"^'  ^^•"'  ^'-o^™  such 
faithful    endeavours    to   minister    to    the    scattered 

schoonermen   and   others   alon-    the    coist 
AVe  beg  our  Society  for  the  Furthoran.;e  of 'the  Gos- 
pel to  express  hearty  thanks  in  our  name,  and  that 
ot  the  Eskimos.    ... 

•  Yours  faithfully, 

B.  La  Trobe, 

Secretary, 
•  •'  •  « 

From  Rev.  MosEs  Harvey,  LL.D.,  F.R.S.,  Sf.  Johns, 

The  great  need  of  hospital  work  on  l!al5radof  is 
seen  when  it  is  considered  how  many  cases  occur 
of  blindness,  deformities,  or  loss  of  certain  faculties, 
affecting    the    bread-winners    of    families,    most    of 


232 


VfR'TXGS   OF    ,  0-DAY 


which  might  have  been  prevented  it'  treated  in  time, 
and  thus  much  personal  sufferin^^  spared,  and  also 
a  great  loss  to  the  community.  During  the  season 
the  medical  men  were  able  to  render  such  aid  tliat 
several  who  had  been  compelled  to  give  up  work- 
round  themselves  capable  of  resuming  their  duties. 
When  sick  persons  are  thus  saved  iVom  losing  their 
season's  work,  or  saved  the  time  and  expense  in- 
volved in  returning  to  Nawfouiidland  for  advice,  in 
cases  of  minor  importance  ;  or  when,  as  happened 
in  several  instances  during  the  season,  the  lives  or 
limbs  were  saved,  or,  in  some  hopeless  cases,  life 
w^as  prolonged  so  as  to  allow  them  to  reach  home 
and  end  their  days  ir.  the  bosom  of  their  fnmilies, 
the  value  of  this  hospital  work  becomes  more  ap- 
parent. 

To  the  sick  of  Labrador  these  hospitals  will  be 
an  inestimable  boon.  Only  those  wiio  have  known 
what  it  is  to  toss  on  a  bed  of  pain,  perhaps  unable 
even  at  night  to  tind  rest,  their  tongue  parched  with 
thirst,  and  fever  raging  in  their  system,  can  pro- 
perly appreciate  the  meaning  of  the  skilful  help  of 
the  physiciaL,  the  delicate  attention  of  the  trained 
nurse,  the  hushed  house,  the  subdued  voices  and 
the  gentle  light  of  the  half-darkened  room.  When 
this  is  contrasted  with  the  sad  sight  so  often  wit- 
nessed on  Labrador,  of  delicate  women,  and  even 
children,  undergoing  sufferings,  w^hich  are  hard  tr 
hear  even  amid  the  comforts  and  gentle  attentions 
of  home,  on  the  dreary  coast  of  Labrador,  far  from 


*  V 


APPENDICES 


233 


every  helping  hand,  or  in  the  dark  hold  of  some 
small  fishing  vessel,  where  the  atmosphere  is  poi- 
sonous, and  the  noises  to  the  sick  distressing  and 
iilmost  maddening,  it  is  then  we  realize  the  value 
of  the  noble  humane  work  in  the  hospitals  erected 
on  storm-beaten  i.abrador  for  the  relief  of  suffering 
humanity.  Who  would  not  aid  in  such  a  good 
workl 

Dl5TRICUTI0\    OF    ClOTIHXG. 

The  Albert  brought  from  England  a  very  large 
stock  of  clothing,  both  new  and  cast-off,  the  gift  ot 
kind  charitable  friends.  This  was  distributed  with 
the  greatest  care  and  discrimination,  every  pre- 
caution being  used  to  guard  against  imposition. 
The  cases  of  utter  or  partial  destitution  of  clothing 
among  families  who  reside  permanently  on  the  Lab- 
rador coast,  were  numerous,  and  much  timely  aid 
was  given,  especially  to  women  and  children.  Food 
was  also  given  in  cases  of  extreme  destitution. 
Many  families  Avere  thus  helped  to  provide  for  the 
long,  cold  winter  of  this  region.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  every  spring  some  families  are  driven  to  sub- 
sist on  mussels  and  seaweed  they  can  gather  along 
the  land-wash.  With  ice  on  the  coast  no  help  can 
reach  them. 


Distribution  of  Books,  Periodicals,  and  Tracts. 

A  very  large  supply  of  wholesome  literature  "\vas 
carried  on   board   the   Mission   ship,  and,  wherever 


234 


VIKINGS  or    TODAY 


'I 


ili" 


she  went,  was  freely  distributed  umon^  the  fisher- 
men. Wherever  it  was  found  in  any  family  that 
any  one  could  read,  a  gift  was  made  either  of  illus- 
trated or  plain  literature,  or  both. 

Religious  Services. 

Wherever  the  Albert  or  Princess  May  called,  when 
opportunity  offered,  especially  on  Suhda3's,  religious 
services  were  held,  which  all  w^ere  invited  to  attend. 
Hymns  were  sung,  prayers  offered,  and  simple  ad- 
dresses given  on  Scriptural  subjects.  These  ser- 
vices were  much  appreciated  among  these  lonely 
sea-toilers ;  and  thus  something  was  done  to  make 
known  that  Gospel  which  has  brought  such  bless- 
ings to  mankind,  but  without  any  reference  to 
creed  or  sect  being  made. 

The  steam  launch,  Princess  May,  proved  to  be  of 
great  service  in  the  Mission  work.  Dr.  Grenfell 
was  enabled  to  go  up  uncharted  bays  in  her,  so  as 
to  visit  a  large  number  of  the  small  settlements 
which  would  otherwise  not  have  been  within  reach. 
He  was  thus  able  to  make  a  thorough  examination 
into  the  condition  of  the  residents,  and  to  collect 
accurate  statistical  information  regarding  them  to  an 
extent  never  before  attempted.  In  all,  he  visited 
eighty-seven  different  settlements  on  the  Labradoi 
coast,  as  far  north  as  Okkak.  Dr.  Curwen,  in  the 
Albert,  visited  thirty-five  more  settlements ;  and  Dr. 
Bobardt  visited  all  the  places  in  the  vicinity  of 
Battle  Harbour. 


APPENDIX  U 


POVfRTY  OF  THE  PEOPLE 

TO  ffau<;c  as  accurately  as  possible  the  condition 
of  the  people,  we  prepared  as  full  a  census  of 
them — of  their  belongings,  their  fiimilics,  and  their 
accomplishments — as  we  could.  In  this,  during  three 
years,  I  have  had  the  assistance  of  four  medical  men 
besides  inysclf,  of  the  resident  missionaries  on  the 
coast,  and  of  the  Moravian  brethren  further  north. 

We  fmd  the  people,  as  a  rule,  very  poor,  often 
reduced  to  the  verge  of  starvation.  The  causes  we 
believe  to  be  (i)  depletion  of  fisheries  and  fur-bear- 
ing animals,  and  bad  seasons.  (2)  Inability  to  re- 
plenish traps,  guns,  nets,  boats,  etc.,  when  worn  out. 
(3)  Inability  to  secure  proper  clothing  and  supplies 
of  food  when  once  they  become  overwhelmed  in  debt. 
These  causes  have  led  to  (4)  loss  of  energy,  apathy, 
and  even  despair. 

There  are  some  families  still  comfortably  off,  but 
these  are  impov^erished  by  their  own  generosity, 
which  impels  them  continually  to  assist  their  poorer 
brethren.  Where  they  are  still  well  off,  it  is  gener- 
ally because  they  have  a  number  of  grown-up  un- 
married sons,  or  are  in  some  harbour  well  separated 

a  t5 


Vlh'IXGS  or    TODAY 


Irom  other  settlers.  This  Uist  fact  is  more  p:Ucnt  as 
one  travels  north,  '''lie  census  papers  are  in  my 
possession  now.      1  will  quote  here  some  bad  cases. 

Two  families  heie  quite  destitute.      R R 

and  L R .     There  was  neither  tea,  molasses, 

nor  Hour  in  eiihor  house,  .'ind  their  clothinu  was 
literally  dropping  to  pieces,  while  one  boy  was  bare- 
foot and  tlie  others  had  boots  tied  on  to  their 
feet  by  string  to  keep  the  pieces  together.  Jf  ever 
hunger  wrote  its  name  clearly  on  people's  iaees  it 
was  written  on  these  people's,  the  children  being 
]xde  and  bloodless,  the  woman  haggard  and  care- 
worn. The  mother  told  me,  in  most  pathetic  way, 
"Even  the  berries  will  be  covered  deep  in  snow  soon, 
and  then  we  have  only  starvation  to  look  to."  They 
had  no  Jlouy  to  J  ace  the  winter,  und  apparently  no 
means  of  obtaining  any.  Neither  family  had  seal 
nets,  salmon  nets,  or  cod  nets,  or  could  pay  for  twine 
to  braid  any,  and  both  men  showed  me  their  ix)wder- 
horns  and  shot-bags  empty,  or  nearly  so.  I  found  on 
returning  to  the  launch,  the  captain  had  given  his 
bag  of  biscuits  away  to  these  i^eople. 

W.  T.  G. 


A- 


-  P .  Seven  children,  very  poor  and  ill- 
clad  ;  very  poor  supply  of  food,  miserable  hut,  no 
nets.  The  lay  reader  ^  found  three  inches  of  snow 
blow^  in  and  remain  on  the  floor  of  the  only  room  one 

*  Mr.   Dicks,  of  Cavtwriel  t. 


ArpExnicEs 


237 


ni.:;lU  in  winter  lie  slept  here.  Tie  founU  one  countei- 
rane  and  a  pair  ot  man's  iroii.scTs  almost  all  the 
doth.n-  the  ehilclren  had,  ineludin^-  the  eldest  a  Qirl 
ot  lourteen.  Thc.c  had  to  slay  indoors,  of  course, 
.'dl  winter. 

^\^  T.  G. 

*  .  •  ♦  * 

'"^  ^' •     Seven  children.     Very  poor,  very 

nak-ed,  short  of  food,  no  apparatus  to  kill  lish  except 
a  lew  hooks.     Miserable  onc-roomcd  hut. 

W.  T.  G. 

*  *  *  ^ 


E- 


0- 


-•  Wife  and  two  undergrown  boys; 
lather  has  consumption.  AH  very  badly  clothed  ;  not 
a  smo-lc  flannel  garment  among  them.  No  blankets- 
bedclothes  in  rags.  One  trout  net;  caught  only 
enough  fish  for  their  consumption.  Nine' quintals 
last  year,  with  which  cleared  part  of  t,is  debt  and 
got  one  barrel  of  Hour  and  two  pounds  of  tea  for  his 
"  winter  diet."  Shot  some  birds  and  one  seal.  Now 
there  is  nothing  but  three  pounds  of  broken  biseuits 
in  the  house. 

Eliot  Cur  wen. 


APPENDIX    E 

THE  FISHING  SCHOONER^ 

I   HAVE  spoken  of  these  in  a  general  way.    Here 
are  a  few  specimens  of  notes  from  our  diaries  as 
to  numbers  of  crews  and  "freighters"  carried. 


B- 


-.     34  tons.    Crew,  7  men  and   2  women. 
Passengers,  19  men  and  16  women. 

A  total  of  44  souls.  All  passengers  in  one  hold — 
no  partitions.     23  da3"s  out  from  home. 

F .     TC)  tons.     Crew,     6  men  and    i  woman. 

Passengers,  28  men  and  15  women. 

A  total  of  5(i  souls.    No  name  or  register  on  her. 

t .    50  tons.     Crew,    8  men  and    2  women. 

Passengers,  75  men  and  15  women. 

A  total  of  100  souls.  Measured  cubic  space  of  one 
man,  his  vrife,  boy,  ghi,  and  two  men,  8  ft.  by  6  ft. 
by  3  ft. 

X .     Brigantinc^  116  tons.     66  men,  24  women. 

Y .     Small     schooner-rigged    vessel,     5    ton;^. 

4  nien,  i  Avoman,  etc. 

Tne  larger  merchants  all  send  their   crews  down 

in    steamers.     This   has    the   double    advantage    of 

338 


APPENDICES 


239 


securing  better  accommodation,  and  immensely 
shortening  the  passage.  We  are  all  strongly  of 
the  opinion  tiiat  nothing  can  be  said  in  defence  of 
allowing  girls  to  form  part  of  the  regular  crews  of 
the  green-fish  catchers,  or  of  any  fishing  vessel. 
It  appears  to  be  necessary  that  women  should  go 
down  as  passengers ;  and  with  proper  provisions 
there  is  no  reason  why  they  should  not  do  so. 

Here  is  the  result  of  an  accident  to  such  a  vessel 
this  year.  Unfortunately  I  did  not  ascertain  her 
tonnage. 

On  Thursday,  the  14th  inst.,  w^e  left  Spaniard's 
Ba}^,  bound  to  Horse  Harbour,  Labrador,  on  a  fish- 
ing voyage,  having  on  board  a  number  of  sixty-two 
souls,  comprising  men,  women,  and  children.  All 
went  well,  until  about  eight  miles  north-cast  of 
Partridge  Point  (White  Bay).  On  the  17th  inst.,  at 
4  p.m.,  Sunday,  while  in  a  dense  fog,  the  vessel 
struck  a  large  pan  of  ice,  which  crushed  her  bows 
in,  causing  her  to  fill  and  sink  in  about  eight  or 
ten  minutes.  Five  or  six  men  succeeded  in  getting 
on  the  pan  of  ice  with  a  line,  and  secured  it  as 
best  they  could  to  the  pan.  Unfortunately  it  could 
not  be  secured  on  board,  owing  to  the  dreadful 
panic  which  was  taking  place ;  so  she  fell  off  a 
considerable  distance  from  the, pan,  preventing  any 
one  from  getting  on  the  ice.  A  few  boats  were 
then  thrown  over,  but  before  any  one  could  be 
taken  on  board  the  boats,  the  vessel  sank,  leaving 
men,     women     and    children    floating    among    the 


240 


VIKINGS   OF    TODAY 


wreckage  in  the  water.  Some  of  the  few  boats 
filled,  and  were  upset,  leaving  only  two  to  pick  up 
the  men,  women  and  children,  who  were  then  strug- 
gling for  their  lives  in  the  water.  After  a  very 
hard  fight  we  managed  to  save  fifty  (including  who 
were  in  the  boats),  leaving  twelve  poor  souls  to 
meet  a  watery  grave,  namely,  eight  men,  two  boys, 
and  two  young  women.  Some  of  the  women  and 
children  were  almost  totally  naked,  having  jumped 
out  of  bed,  and  had  not  time  to  even  catch  their 
clothes.  These  would  have  undoubtedly  died  before 
many  hours  were  over,  as  they  were  both  wet  and 
naked,  had  not  the  schooner  Irenes  Captain  Bursey, 
of  Catalina,  arrived  at  this  opportune  moment,  and 
quickly  got  us  on  board,  and  brought  us  into 
Coachman's  Cove. 

I  am,  respectfully  yours, 

Henry   Gosse, 
Late  Master  of  Schooner  Rose. 

Spaniard's  Bay,  Jinie  28t/iy  1894. 


Butler  &  Tanner,  The  Selwood  Priiitint'  Works,  Frome,  snd  London. 


w   boats 
pick  up 
n  strug- 
a  very 
ing  who 
souls   to 
vo  boys, 
nen  and 
jumped 
ch  their 
i  before 
wet  and 
Bursey, 
mt,  and 
us    into 


Rose. 


